Heal Me
by Amalthea-Shine
Summary: Loki dreams about a Midgardian woman. But what he doesn't know is tha tshe dreams about him, too. And she will be the one who teaches him what it means to belong, to live, and to love.
1. Chapter 1

I've been imagining this story for a while, so I thought "Why not let others read it?" So here it is.

Summary: Loki dreams about a Midgardian woman. But what he doesn't know is that she dreams about him, too. And she will be the one who teaches him what it means to belong, to live, and to love.

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Thor _or _Avengers _worlds or any of the characters, except my OCs.

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Chapter 1: First Meeting

Loki stared up at the ceiling of his cell, thinking back on the events of that day. Thor had brought him back to Asgard after the war on Earth. The reunion was hardly pleasant. Frigga had run up to him, hugging him tightly as tears fell from her eyes like small waterfalls. Sif and the Warriors Three had simply glared at him with pure hatred, not having forgotten the battle in New Mexico against the Destroyer where he had almost killed them.

And then there was Odin. The man he had known for so long as his father. The man who had lied to him about what he really was. The man he had tried so hard to please, but only disappointed even more. Loki couldn't speak due to the metal gag on his face. So he only gave Odin a look. It was a mix of past love and current hate, of longing to please and squashed hope, of triumph and surrender. Odin had just stared back stoically. Loki couldn't tell what he was thinking, and he didn't want to.

That had been in the morning. Now it was the evening. The rest of the day had consisted of Thor's account of the battle in New York, seeing to the protection of the Tesseract, and Loki being escorted to his prison. Here he was to wait until Odin decided on his punishment. He knew that banishment wasn't an option. No one would want him running around freely on another realm causing mischief. He probably wouldn't even be allowed to go anywhere or do anything here on Asgard. He would most likely be stripped of his magic and locked up for the rest of his miserable existence.

_I wish Odin had left me to die that day, _he found himself thinking. He quickly shook that thought from his head. Even the life he had as a pretend son of Odin was better than whatever fate awaited a deformed son of the Frost Giants' king.

Loki didn't mean to fall asleep. He actually had planned to stay awake the entire night so that he could sleep tomorrow away and not have to worry about confronting anyone, especially Thor or Odin. But as the time passed, his eyelids grew heavy and began to fall. He was out within minutes. He had never really dreamed before, so he certainly wasn't expecting what happened next.

There was fog all around at first. He kept walking, hoping to find a way out of it. And he did. He soon found himself in a large meadow. A river ran by on his left. Pine trees grew around the field of green grass. A slight wind blew, ruffling his hair. He just stood and looked around. He had no idea why he was dreaming about this place, and he hoped he woke up soon. He turned so that he faced the way he had come. That was when he saw hercoming out of the trees.

She was young, probably in her early twenties by Midgardian years. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a clumsy braid and fell one-third of the way down her back. Her dress was plain white, obviously not made of fancy cloth, short sleeved and not quite reaching her ankles. She had nothing on her feet. What skin he could see was the pale color of a sickly person, who had not seen a lot of sun either, marked with bruises and cuts that looked slightly infected. He caught glimpses of what looked like syringe marks, however he couldn't tell for sure what they were. But what caught his attention the most was her eyes.

They weren't really blue, but neither were they green. More like an odd mixture of the two colors. They held a look that said she had seen more that most people twice her age would ever dream of witnessing, terrible things. And yet she still retained a spark of something that defied everything negative. They were full of wisdom and knowledge beyond her years. And they were full of bright life. They were the most beautiful he had ever seen. Those eyes locked with his, and the woman froze.

Loki could feel something different in the air around him. It was as if he could sense her emotions, what she was thinking. She was afraid. She wasn't sure if she should approach him or run away. She wondered if he would hurt her or help her. Loki took a step toward her, and she took a step back.

"I mean you no harm," Loki said. She stopped.

"Not yet anyway."

Her voice was like the song of a bird that had known freedom all its life and suddenly found itself in a small cage, locked away in a dark room. Her words took him by surprise.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

The air changed once again. She was still frightened, but was also trying very hard to be brave. "You are curious about me. You don't know what to think of this strange creature before you. And a part of you doesn't really care. You are surrounded by darkness and it is slowly eating away at your heart, at everything good that you once knew. You are bitter from imagined wrongs committed against you and misinterpreted words and actions. And now you are angry because you know I speak the truth."

Loki was indeed angry. Who was this woman to speak as if she knew him? Who was she to say that he had imagined all of those crimes against him, the rightful ruler of Asgard?

"What makes you think you know anything about me?" He spat out the words as if they were poisonous.

"I can sense it," she replied, "just as you can sense my fear."

That caught him off-guard. So he hadn't imagined that at least.

"Who are you?" he asked. "What is your name?"

She was hesitant. She wasn't sure if she could trust this mystery man. So many people, strangers, had hurt her recently that she didn't know if she could trust anyone.

"Emma."

She had decided to trust him.

"And you are?"

Loki wasn't sure why he chose to do what he did next. But if she could trust him, the God of Lies and Mischief, knowing what she knew and seeing what she had seen, then he could trust her.

"Loki."

The fog rolled in and Loki lost sight of Emma. The last thing he saw was her beautiful eyes.

Loki opened his own eyes and found himself staring up at the ceiling of his cell. He sat up and rubbed his forehead.

_Just a dream. _

* * *

At the same time, in a secret laboratory on Earth, a human woman woke up. Emma stared through the bars of her small cage and thought back to the man she had seen. Loki, as he had identified himself. The man with a dark, broken heart but eyes that shined like emeralds.

_Just a dream._

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So what do you think so far? Please review and let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

hungergamesawesomness: Here's more. And thank you for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, sadly.

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Chapter 2: Who is Emma?

Emma Grace couldn't fall back to sleep after that. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Loki's face. His bright green eyes had stood out vividly next to his dark hair and clothing and pale skin. She remembered how she felt the air around her change, and she could sense his thoughts. She could feel his soul. He was so broken inside. Emma couldn't help the desire to heal Loki that rose up in her heart, to shine the light that would banish the darkness that threatened to devour him.

But Emma had to remind herself that Loki was just a dream. He was just her subconscious combining the events of the previous day and releasing them. So why could she not stop thinking about him? Even if he was real, she would never have the chance to heal him. Not from where she was.

Emma almost wanted to blame her parents for giving her a name that meant "healer of the universe." It was a bit ironic, because she herself had never been very healthy. All her life she was constantly getting sick. She was in the hospital a lot and had never attended a public school due to all the days she would have missed. Strict diets and a thousand medications had prevented her from ever knowing what a chocolate bar or hamburger tasted like. She didn't know how to ride a bike, or swim, or play a sport, because she was almost never allowed outside. Her skin, already pale from being sick all the time, was practically transparent since it had never seen the sun.

Not even her mind was safe from harm. Emma remembered nights of lost sleep due to her parents arguing about financial difficulties and expensive medical bills. Even though they had sat down with her and told her it wasn't her fault, Emma still felt responsible for her parents' divorce when she was eight. Her mother, Sharron, remarried about a year later to a successful businessman named Cody White, who adored his stepdaughter and made sure all her medical needs were met. Emma didn't know what had become of her father, Michael Grace. Her last memory of him was when he piled all of his suitcases into his pickup and drove off without so much as a goodbye.

Emma's life had gotten tremendously better since her mother's marriage to Cody. He saw to Emma's comfort and got her the best medical attention money could buy. He didn't neglect the twin sons he had with her mother when Emma was ten, nor did Jason and Jared feel any hostility towards their half-sister. They were actually quite helpful. They were always playing games or watching TV with Emma and getting her anything she wanted or needed. They would be just starting high school now, and both were aiming to go into the medical field. Their goal was to come up with alternate ways to help people like Emma. Tears came to her eyes whenever she thought of her brothers' love and devotion.

But her life wasn't anywhere near perfect. Her stepfather's rich acquaintances were the cause of a lot of hurt. When they came over to the house they stayed as far away from her as possible, afraid of catching whatever illness she might have. Their children were never allowed to socialize with her, so she practically had no friends. And no one, adults or offspring, even bothered to talk to her at all. It was the parents' opinion that Emma was stupid or ignorant because she never left the house and didn't attend one of the fancy, high-reputation, expensive academies that they sent their children to.

But Emma was far from either of those. She had private tutors who were very patient and helpful, so she excelled in all of her studies. And she studied a wide range of subjects. She loved to read, whether it was a fantasy book or memoir or the newspaper. She made sure her parents and brothers kept her up-to-date on what was happening in the outside world and would engage in deep discussions whenever she could. It was always a treat to see the rich snobs' reactions when Emma said something beyond intelligent.

Despite her many limitations, Emma fought to have her own kind of freedom and pushed her boundaries whenever she could. Her family allowed them as much as they felt was safe because they believed that Emma's determination would make her stronger. However, that determination was exactly why she was in her current situation.

Her family had been invited to attend a dinner and social at the home of one of Cody's associates. All the staff had that same evening off, and Emma was starting to show symptoms of another illness. She begged and pleaded to be allowed to stay home alone. She won the argument by saying that she was 23 and could live off of others forever. She would have to be independent someday and this was a wonderful opportunity to give her an experience similar to living on her own. After they had double-checked and triple-checked that all the doors were locked and she had all the emergency numbers and plenty to do, they finally drove off.

At first Emma had been intimidated by the big, empty house that she had all to herself for the night. But after a delicious dinner she made herself and a few chapters in a new book she was immensely interested in, that Jason and Jared had generously gotten her, she started to relax. She was just beginning to doze off to sleep on the living room couch when she heard glass breaking. Emma barely had time to react before a half-dozen figures dressed in black grabbed her, tied and gagged her, and tossed her into the back of a van.

Her screams were useless as she was taken away and found herself in a lab somewhere far away from home with 42 other people, just as scared and sickly as her. They ranged from 14, just a year older than Jared and Jason, to 25. The many scientists there had informed them all that they had the privilege of being selected to participate in a great medical study, and the scientists were their friends that would help discover the cause of their health deficiencies and how they could be reversed or corrected. A few of the older people had argued and tried to fight, but they were easily defeated.

That had been a year ago. The first treatment had been given a week after they had arrived. Three people had died that day, and more had died off as the months passed. Emma cried herself to sleep every night in the tiny dog cage she had been imprisoned in. It reminded her of Maximum Ride, only she wasn't being given a set of wings. Emma listened to the sounds of the remaining 23 people sleeping around her in cages no bigger than hers.

_Please, God, _she prayed, as she had done every minute of every day since arriving at this hell, _please deliver us from this torture. Return us to our families. Grant us salvation._ She paused in her prayer. _Let me see Loki one more time. Let me heal him. _

Little did she know that her prayer would be answered. Just not in the way she was expecting.

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So now you know a bit about Emma. Please review and tell me what you think. I only got one review last chapter. Please leave me your thoughts, otherwise I have no idea whether or not you like it.


	3. Chapter 3

lederra: It only gets better.

blondehairedknowitall: Thank you. Here's what happens next.

hungergamesawesomeness: Glad you liked it. And of course I'll write more. I can't just leave it there.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Marvel world. Though, if I could own any part of it, I would want to own Loki.

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Chapter 3: The Morning After

Emma was just starting to drift off when the doors to the holding area opened with a loud "SLAM!" She started and sat up as much as she could in her small cage, as did most of the other "experiments." Only two didn't stir. The whitecoats – as Emma had decided to call them in her mind, since she was comparing her situation to Maximum Ride – went over to those two cages first.

"Unconscious or dead?" asked an African-American whitecoat with no emotion in his voice.

A skinny, blond whitecoat wearing _way _too much make-up and ridiculously high stilettos opened the cages and checked the pulses of the occupants. "Dead," she announced, equally unemotional.

"Send them to autopsy." A man with bright red hair that could not have possibly been real scribbled something onto his clipboard. He then proceeded to give out orders concerning what food went to which "subject."

Emma used all her strength to keep her stomach below her mouth as some of the whitecoats rolled the two dead people past her cage. She couldn't, however, stop the lump forming in her throat when she saw that one of them was just a teenager. She recognized her from the previous day. The poor girl had started sobbing so hard she couldn't breathe. The whitecoats had only acknowledged her when someone shouted out that her face was turning blue. From what Emma could see, she had been crying last night as her life left her.

Emma tore her attention away from the dead girl as one of the whitecoats slipped her breakfast into her cage. Her stomach growled when she saw the apple slices, goji berries, cashews, scrambled eggs, and what looked like freshly-squeezed orange juice. She remembered eating breakfasts similar to this at home, as her brothers would look up foods that were bursting with vitamins and minerals to help her body stay healthy.

This time, Emma could not hold back the few tears that escaped her eyes, the ones she had been holding back for a year. She whipped them away and reached for her food, devouring it all. If she was to have any chance of surviving this ordeal longer than she already had, she needed to give her body what it needed to fight. She couldn't afford to be like the man on the other side of the room who was, very loudly, refusing to eat and demanding to be released like he had every day since coming here. She ate silently as she listened to him use language that would make her mother, who was a devout Christian, take a bar of soap to his mouth. Emma was surprised he had lasted this long. That was probably due to his stubbornness. But it wouldn't save him for much longer.

When she was done Emma slid the tray out of her cage, where a whitecoat collected it. She laid back down and her mind wandered back to Loki, the mysterious man in her dreams with emerald eyes.

* * *

Loki didn't even blink when Thor walked into his cell with a tray of food. His mind was elsewhere.

"Good morning, Loki," Thor said, trying desperately to sound cheerful but not as if he enjoyed seeing Loki like this.

Thor set the tray down on the table in the corner of the cell and turned to his adopted brother. He smiled as he noticed the familiar look on his face. Loki only got that look when he was deep in thought about something that he really didn't want to talk about. But it never hurt to try.

"What are you thinking about, brother?" Thor asked. He thought he sounded as if he were teasing Loki about a secret crush as he listened to his own voice. Loki immediately lost the daydreaming look and replaced it with an angry scowl.

"I am not your brother," he hissed.

"That is unfortunate," said Thor, "because I am going to call you that for the rest of your life."

"I pray that will not be very long," was Loki's response. Thor frowned.

"You must have been thinking about something very pleasant, to say that you wish to die simply because I interrupted." Loki turned his head to look at Thor for the first time since he entered the cell.

"First off, yes I was, and I really do not appreciate you interrupting my thoughts to interrogate me. Second, that is not the reason I wish to die."

Thor tried to figure out the true meaning of his adopted brother's words. His face turned sad at the idea that his brother wished to end his life. Loki noticed this, but he didn't care. He just glared at him for a minute before turning onto his side to face away from the God of thunder. Thor knew that this brief, unpleasant conversation was over and left the cell.

Loki waited until the heavy footsteps finally faded before walking over to the tray of food Thor had brought in with him. He chose a pear and hesitated a minute before taking a small bite. He doubted anyone would try to poison him before the Allfather tried and sentenced him. For all his talk about wanting to die, there was something that made him want to keep on living.

His mind wandered back to Emma, the girl with the eyes that looked like an ocean through a kaleidoscope, wondering if he would see her again tonight as he slept. Was she the reason? Loki shook his head at these ridiculous thoughts and finished the pear.

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Wow. That was a short chapter. I promise the next one will be longer. Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

hungergamesawesomeness: Of course I'll write more. Glad to know you're enjoying it.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Marvel world, though I would very much like to own Loki. I just love that guy.

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Chapter 4: Second Meeting

A whitecoat escorted Emma back to her cage after a day of testing and yet more new treatments. It was the man with the bright red hair that could not have possibly been real. He was squeezing her arm so tightly that she knew she would have another bruise. For all their talk about being their friends and wanting to help them, these scientists were anything but gentle. Someone had died early that afternoon, the man who had been loudly complaining just that morning. He had severely cussed out a whitecoat, who had responded by shoving him too hard and making him crash into a tray of sharp equipment, causing severe external and internal bleeding. Emma had come close to fainting from the sight of so much blood.

But now she was in her cage, safe for the moment. Unless, of course, the new treatments caused side effects or didn't work the way they were supposed to. Emma rolled onto her side and began to meditate. Jason and Jared had recommended learning it, and it helped her to fall asleep when her mind was as wild as a Category 7 hurricane.

As she tried to empty her head of all thoughts, a few images escaped her hold and creeped in: the dead girl's face, the blood, Loki's emerald eyes. Emma smiled at that last one despite her pain. She focused all her strength on that image and fell asleep, still smiling.

* * *

Loki groaned as he settled himself on the bed, rubbing his forehead when he was as comfortable as he could get. The events of today had given him a migraine.

First, after Thor had left, Frigga had visited him. That had consisted of her hugging him and crying, telling him how much she had missed him and how glad she was that he was alive. He didn't say or do much. He just hugged her back and listened to her. Despite everything Odin had done, Loki still saw Frigga as his mother and still loved her. She was really the only person who had made him feel like he had any worth. He smiled when he saw that she had brought books with her; books on magic that he had been looking for when Thor had taken his little field trip to Jotenheim and Odin had banished him. At least he wouldn't be bored now. Frigga promised him that if there were any more books he wanted, she would get them for him. He thanked her before she left.

Next came Sif. She didn't say anything at all. She just stood there, looking at him with a glare that could have burned a hole through the thickest mountain. Loki couldn't last under that look for even half a minute.

"What do you want?!" he had shouted. Sif had glared at him for a few more seconds before slapping him and stomping out.

There were very few things in all the nine realms that made Loki really feel pain. One was being tossed around like a ragdoll by a pissed-off green giant that could single-handedly take down a Chitauri war whale (or whatever those things were called). Another was a slap from Sif that she had concentrated all her strength and attention on. His cell didn't include a mirror, but Loki was certain that his face would make the absolute worst sunburn envious beyond description.

Thor returned at noon with Loki's lunch and a salve for his face. Sif's slaps never went away easily. There were no words exchanged, but Loki silently thanked his brother for his actions. He would never, of course, admit that to anyone. He had an image to maintain.

Loki had no other visitors that day, except for Thor when he returned again with dinner.

"How is your face?" Thor asked, trying to engage in conversation.

Loki had answered with a look that said "Are you seriously asking that question?" Thor had given him an apologetic smile and told Loki to keep using the salve, unless he wanted to keep the handprint mark as a souvenir. Loki responded by throwing a piece of fruit at him. Thor dodged, laughed and quickly made his escape before he could be attacked any more with food. Loki had chuckled a bit, then silently ate his dinner.

Which brings us to now. At the same time Emma was falling asleep thinking about him, he was falling asleep thinking about her. His mind had wandered back to the girl with the ocean eyes that he had seen the previous night.

_I wonder if I will see her again tonight, _Loki thought. Ten seconds passed. _Nope. Not possible._

Imagine his surprise when he once again found himself in the same meadow he had first seen her. This time, it was she who had to turn around to see him. She smiled and the air changed, as it would throughout the entire conversation.

"You're happy to see me," Loki observed. "I cannot say that about many people. Why are you happy?"

"You were a change in the dreary life I am currently living," Emma responded, "a life that I thought would go on forever."

"What life? And why does it make you hurt to even think about it?" Emma was silent for a minute, then she smiled. "What plan have you come up with to avoid answering, you sneaky fox?"

"It's simply. You ask a question about me, and then I ask a question about you. You asked the first question. Now it's my turn. And don't try to come up with lies that will seem like the truth. I will be able to know the difference."

Loki laughed. "I accept your challenge. What is your first question?"

"Why are you named after the God of mischief and lies?"

Emma smirked when she sensed that she had caught him off-guard.

"You know Norse mythology?"

"I often had too much free time and studied many subjects when I had nothing else to do. Mythology was one of them. That counts as your second question, by the way."

Loki cursed under his breath and Emma laughed. _She has a nice laugh, _he thought. Emma's eyes caught his, and he knew that she had sensed that. She was surprised. Loki guessed that she either didn't laugh much or didn't have people compliment her laugh.

Emma broke the awkward silence. "You haven't answered my question yet."

Loki had to remember what the question was before thinking about how he would answer. After a minute he said, "I am not named _after _him. I _am _him." Emma had put on her best poker face, but Loki knew she was torn between his answer and what she was sensing and what her common sense was telling her.

"I think you're lying, but you're not," she finally said. "You really are the God of mischief and lies. Either that, or you're not him but you truly believe that you are."

"Would you like to see some magic as proof?" Loki was enjoying her confusion and disbelief. It entertained him. He made a mental note to do this to her more often. He would have so much fun playing with her.

"After all that has happened to me recently," she replied, "I find it hard to believe anything, including magic." Loki just gave her a smile. She wanted to believe, he could sense that, but she also didn't want her heart broken.

"I already used my second question. It's your turn again."

"Why do you take pleasure in the struggles of others?"

If her first question surprised him, her second question knocked him off his feet. So she had sensed that. He was thinking up a clever story when he heard her voice again.

"Don't lie to me, God of lies." He decided to be truthful, after taking a second to laugh silently at the irony of that sentence.

"I have been through more that my share of trials. I have worked ten times as hard anyone to become what I am, while others make no effort at all and get all the glory and attention. They live their lives without having to worry about a thing. They don't feel any pain or sadness, regret or loss, disappointment or failure. Everything is taken care of for them and they go through each day thinking that the entire world is handed to them on a silver platter. Is that not completely unfair?"

Her emotions were not what he was expecting. He thought she would be angry. Instead, she was sad. Memories were going through her head so fast that he could hardly make sense of them all. Finally, she spoke.

"Do not judge others simply because you cannot see the storms they walk through."

The fog rolled in once again and they lost sight of each other. They woke up at the same time, thinking back to the last words spoken by the other.

While one thought _What did she mean by that?_ the other thought_ So much anger and hatred. What happened to him? _

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So how was that? Did I do alright? Am I doing a good job portraying Loki's character or am I totally butchering it?

Please review and let me know. This is the second time I've received only one review for the chapter. It makes me think I'm not doing a good job or people just don't like my story. Please tell me what you think so I can make this story better.


	5. Chapter 5

blondhairedknowitall: Thank you. I thought I was totally ruining Loki. Here's the next part.

The Yoshinator: Glad you like it. Of course I'll continue.

hungergamesawesomeness: I'm really glad you think my story is really cool. And thank you. You're the one person who has left me a review for every chapter.

LA: You're question will actually be answered in these next two chapters, so keep reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel. :'(

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Chapter 5: Catching On

Thor walked in with Loki's breakfast, looked over at his brother, and frowned. Loki was deep in thought again but he had a troubled look on his face, as is someone had proven a fact that he had truly believed was false and he was attempting to figure out how that was.

"Brother, what is wrong?" Thor asked with great concern.

Loki jumped at the sound of Thor's voice. He hadn't even heard him walk into the room. And with Thor, you could usually tell when he was within a mile of you. Thor's concern grew. He was well aware of how loud he could be, even when he wasn't trying.

"What were you thinking about?"

"None of your business," Loki snapped. Emma's words had really shaken him, and he was in no mood to be interrogated.

Thor's frown deepened as he set down the tray and began to walk out. No one wanted to be near Loki when he was angry. He was halfway out the door when Loki spoke again.

"Wait."

Thor stopped and turned to look at his brother. The two stared at each other for a minute before Loki found his voice again.

"I need you to find a book for me."

Thor relaxed. When Loki had stopped him from leaving, he thought he was going to try some sort of trick. But it was just Loki and his desire for knowledge. This was something he had grown up with, and he found comfort in knowing that that, at least, hadn't changed.

"What book do you wish for?" Thor asked.

"The Dream World," Loki responded, "written by an anonymous sorcerer."

"I will find it for you." Thor smiled at his brother and left.

* * *

Thor went immediately to the library after visiting Loki. Dania, the librarian who had worked there practically her whole life, greeted him when he entered.

"And what does Prince Loki wish to study today?" she asked before Thor could say anything. He was silent for a moment, looking at her with obvious confusion on his face.

"How did you know?" Dania laughed.

"I have known the two of you since before you could walk. Loki practically lived here, reading this book or that, studying every subject he came across. You, on the other hand, refused to set foot in here unless half a dozen guards dragged you in, kicking and screaming in the process." Thor chuckled a bit and Dania continued. "Your mother was in here yesterday and gathered a few books before going to visit Loki. I recognized them as the same books he had been looking for before. . ." Her voice trailed off and she grew silent. She composed herself before smiling brightly and looking back up at Thor. "So what is Loki looking to study today?"

Thor smiled at her cleverness and answered, "The Dream World, written by an anonymous sorcerer."

Dania's smile faded. "And what does Loki want with that particular book?"

"He did not say, and I did not ask," Thor answered cautiously. "Why?"

Dania turned and walked toward the back of the large library. Thor followed her as she explained.

"The Dream World was found many centuries ago in a cave near the edge of Asgard. The body of the sorcerer who most likely wrote it was also found there, but nothing was uncovered to give him an identity. He was obviously very powerful as he was able to cast a spell on his book to protect it from time and the elements. It was brought back here and studied. It spoke of the power of dreams and what they could show people when they sleep, as that is the time when our minds are exposed. Dreams show us what we desire, what we are afraid of, and what we wish to hide from others. Dreams let us travel to the places we would not be able to visit in person. And. . ." she paused both in speech and in motion. Thor stopped beside her and waited for her to continue. The silence disturbed him, but it only lasted a minute. "And dreams may allow us to communicate with others."

Thor frowned as Dania finished her sentence. "You think my brother is speaking to someone through his dreams?"

Dania turned to him. "I do not believe he would ask for this particular book if it was anything else. There are many books that speak of the other topics, but this is the only one that mentions anything about communication through dreams."

"I could be that he merely wishes to study that topic," Thor said, though he was a bit uncertain about that himself.

"But why the sudden interest?" Dania asked him. "None of the books your mother took to him yesterday make any reference to The Dream World, and he has not made much study of the subject. Some of the others books who speak of the Dream World would be a much better place to start. And I have never known him to put aside one book to study another before finishing the first. He is a fast reader, but I do not believe he could have gone through all of the books you mother took to him yesterday."

"But who would he be speaking to?" Thor wondered out loud. "Could it be the Chitauri?"

"If it was, I do not think Loki would be asking for this book," Dania answered. "He would ask for a book on how to prevent himself from dreaming about them. I am sure he has no desire to speak to the Chitauri after he failed them."

"But if not them, then who?"

"Perhaps someone he has not met in person, someone who intrigues him. This book explains how one can prolong communication with others through dreams, how to stay in the dream world as long as possible, how to sense the emotions and thoughts of the others who are in the dream world with them. Whoever Loki is speaking to, he wants to know more about them.

Dania stopped at a bookshelf and climbed the ladder up to a shelf near the top. She scanned the spines of the many tomes in front of her before selecting one and climbing back down. She turned to Thor and handed it to him.

"I would advise you to keep a close eye on your brother," she whispered. "You were really the only one he would confide in. Talk to him. See if you can discover the identity of the one he is speaking to."

"Why are you telling me this?" Thor asked.

"Because throughout history," Dania told him, "people have claimed to speak to someone through their dreams when they are in times of trial. Perhaps whoever your brother speaks to can help him overcome the darkness that has caged him and brought him to this point."

"Dania." A young assistant had found them. "You are needed to help catalogue some new documents."

"I will be right there." She looked at Thor one more time. "Good luck, Your Highness." She walked away, leaving Thor to his own thoughts. He looked down at the leather-bound book he held in his hands.

_Brother, _he thought, _What are you hiding from me this time? What are you keeping locked up inside you? _

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Yes, I know. That was more Thor than Loki or Emma. You will see more of those two in the next chapter. I promise. Please review. I like reviews. Reviews are cool.


	6. Chapter 6

blondhairedknowitall: Thank you.

The Yoshinator: Here's the update. More Loki and Emma coming up.

Hungergamesawesomeness: Of course I'll write more. Here's more Emma scenes.

Tiryn: Glad you love my story. Which particular comment are you referring to?

gracelpv: Here's the next chapter. Hope the wait was worth it.

Disclaimer: I own absolutely no part of the Marvel world. Drat!

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Chapter 6: Dreaming of You

The door locked behind Emma. She glanced at it for a second before looking around. One of the treatments she and the others had been given yesterday was causing side effects as serious as hallucinations, vivid flashbacks, and short term amnesia. One girl had panicked after waking up because she couldn't remember the last three years of her life. She'd started screaming about her mother going in for surgery and wanting her daughter there to hold her hand.

The whitecoats had to drag her away quickly, not wanting to sedate her for fear that the mixture of chemicals in her body would only make things worse (like the treatments weren't already doing that). Four others had been affected during the day, and half of them had died at some point. The whitecoats had decided to isolate each "subject" in order to better observe if they would also show side effects and how they progressed.

So here she was, trapped in a cell only as big as a police interrogation room. White and sterile as a hospital, with a single cot on one wall, a slot to slide meals through the door, a toilet and sink on one side that wasn't even hidden from view, and a camera in one corner instead of a mirror/window, Emma thought she very well may lose her mind. But if she did, it wouldn't be because of those blasted treatments.

Emma sat down on the cot and began thinking random facts to keep herself distracted. _My name is Emma Grace. I'm 24. I have a mother and stepfather named Sharron and Cody White. My real father's name is Michael Grace. He left my mother and me when I was eight. I have twin half-brothers named Jared and Jason. They're 14 and want to be doctors. I have had medical problems my whole life. I was kidnapped a year ago by scientists who want to study me like a lab rat._

_For the past two nights, I have been dreaming about a man called Loki. He has jet black hair and emerald eyes. His heart is being consumed by darkness, by hatred and anger. I feel drawn to him for some reason that I can't explain. I hope I see him again tonight._

Emma couldn't help but smile at that last thought. She lifted up her head and opened her mouth. But instead of screaming about memories of things that weren't there, she began to sing. She had a lovely voice. If she hadn't been so sick all the time, she may have become a singer. Emma knew many songs and was always eager to learn more. She would often give her family little concerts. And, very rarely, she would entertain when her stepfather had friends or business associates over at the house. No matter their personal opinions about her health, they loved to hear her sing.

But now, she sang for Loki.

"_Late at night when all the world is sleeping,_

_I stay up and think of you._

_And I wish on a star that somewhere you are_

_Thinking of me too._

'_Cause I'm dreaming of you tonight._

_Till tomorrow, I'll be holding you tight. _

_And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be_

_Than here in my room dreaming about you and me._

_I wonder if you ever see me_

_And I wonder if you know I'm there._

_If you looked in my eyes, would you see what's inside?_

_Would you even care?_

_I just wanna hold you close, but so far_

_All I have are dreams of you._

_So I wait for the day and the courage to say _

_How much I love you._

_Yes I do._

_I'll be dreaming of you tonight. _

_Till tomorrow, I'll be holding you tight. _

_And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be_

_Than here in my room dreaming about you and me._

_I can't stop dreaming of you._

_I can't stop dreaming._

_I can't stop dreaming of you._

_I can't stop dreaming._

_Late at night when all the world is sleeping,_

_I stay up and think of you._

_And I still can't believe that you came up to me_

_And said 'I love you.'_

_I love you too._

_Now I'm dreaming with you tonight,_

'_Til tomorrow and for all of my life._

_And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be_

_Than here in my room dreaming with you endlessly." _

Selena's "Dreaming of You." Emma thought it was appropriate for her situation.

Night came eventually. Emma could tell because she was given dinner and the lights in her cell were dimmed. Emma laid down on the cot and thought of Loki. She smiled. _I hope I dream of you tonight. _

* * *

As he had promised, Thor returned at lunchtime with the book Loki had asked for. However, he seemed a bit reluctant to give it to his brother. Loki noticed this. _He must have asked Dania for help finding it. _Dania was clever. She most likely suspected his reasoning for wanting this book. Loki skipped through most of the book to the chapters concerning communication through dreams.

'_The Dream World has a consciousness of its own. It knows the kind of people we need most in our times of struggle. So it connects us to those people, like the branches of Yggdrasil connect all the realms to one another. We know who they are because we see them more than once. They may be the last we expect to help us. But the Dream World knows our hearts and minds. Those that it chooses to help us are also the ones who need our help.'_

Loki paused in his reading to think. _So not only is Emma supposed to help me, but I am supposed to help her? Why would anyone need help from me? _Loki remembered that it pained Emma to talk about the life she was currently living. _Am I supposed to free her from her pain? How am I to accomplish that? _He continued reading.

'_It is rare that those who find each other in their dreams will ever meet in person. The Dream World is not limited by time or space. People from different times _or_ realms may communicate. However, never has there been an account of two people from different times _and _realms that speak to each other.'_

_Just perfect _Loki thought. _I could be speaking to a dead woman, or a woman who has not even been born. _Loki secretly hoped that neither of those possibilities was reality. But if she was in another realm, then he most likely wouldn't meet her in person. At least, not while he was trapped in this cell.

'_If one or the other is a master of magic, or simply has a strong mental link to the Dream World, then those two may sense the emotions and feelings of the one they speak to. I believe this ability is given to help better understand those we communicate with, so that we may know how best to help them. And the Dream World never lies.'_

Loki thought about that. _How am I to use that to my advantage? How can I use that to better understand Emma? _Loki once again remembered the pain she felt when talking about her current situation. If she wanted to play the question game tonight, Loki knew just what he would ask her.

Thor came back in with dinner, and Loki realized how much time had passed since he began reading. That often happened with him. He would be so deep in a subject that he wouldn't notice anything happening around him unless someone slammed a heavy metal club over his head, and that had actually been necessary a few times.

"Did you find the answers you were looking for, brother?" Thor asked as he set the tray down.

Loki glared at him. "First, I am not your brother. I have said that many times. I do not care if you have decided to call me that for the rest of my life. Second, I was actually left with more questions than answers." Thor looked at him, as if deciding whether or not he wanted to push this conversation farther. After a while, he spoke.

"Who is it you speak to in your dreams?" Loki actually chuckled a bit.

"Dania helped you find this?" Thor just smiled. "I thought so." He was silent for a minute. "Thor, did you ever dream about Jane before you met her?"

Thor didn't know what to make of that question. "I had never seen her before until Father banished me. But now that I have, I dream about her almost every night."

"Have you ever dreamed about someone before meeting them in person?"

"No." A minute of silence. "You did not answer my question. Who do you speak to?" Loki looked at the floor.

"Her name is Emma," Loki responded. "I have only seen her twice. She is in pain, and I want to know why."

"Why do you wish to know that?"

Loki looked up at his brother. "I want to know so that I may release her from that pain."

Thor stared at his brother. Loki was not the kind of person who wanted to help someone after only seeing them twice. In fact, he was not the kind of person who wanted to help anyone at all.

"Why do you want to release her from her pain?" Loki looked at the floor again.

"I don't know," he whispered. "All I know is that I want to see her again. I want to keep dreaming about her." He fell silent, and Thor knew that he would speak no more. He left. Loki waited until he could no longer hear Thor. He leaned against the wall and stared at the ceiling. _My dear Emma, I sincerely hope that we can help each other._

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I think this is my longest chapter so far. What do you think? Does the idea of the Dream World seem kind of irrelevant? Please review and tell me.


	7. Chapter 7

blondhairedknowitall: Thanks. I knew I had to put something in there explaining how they were able to meet, and that started the idea of the Dream World.

gracelvp: Thanks. I'm glad you like my story so much.

Tiryn: I actually got the idea for that quote from something I saw on Pintrest. It said "Do not judge. 'You don't know what storm I've asked her to walk through.' – God." I couldn't remember the exact wording, so I just took what I did remember and tried to make it work. You'll find out just how much Loki likes Emma in later chapters.

hungergamesawesomeness: Lips sealed.

The Yoshinator: Thanks. Keep reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Marvel universe or Norse mythology. I only own my OCs and plotline.

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Chapter 7: The Last Dream

When Emma opened her eyes, she saw Loki opening his. She smiled at him, then a look of wonder crossed her face.

"You've done some studying since we last met," she said. "You know something about why we keep seeing each other." Loki smiled.

"I need to carefully guard what I think about when I see you. You're very clever."

"Thank you." Emma smiled again. "Shall we continue with our question game?"

"You asked the last question, so I believe it is my turn now."

Emma sensed that he already had a question prepared. He had been doing a lot of thinking about what she had told him and what he sensed. She braced herself. "Ask away."

"Why does it pain you to think about your life right now?"

Emma had to immediately dam her eyes so that Loki would not see her cry. Whatever she was expecting him to ask, that certainly wasn't it.

"If you really do not want to answer that, I can think of a different question." Loki was worried about her. He wanted to know, but he didn't want to bring up too many unpleasant memories. As much as he enjoyed watching people struggle, he didn't feel the same way about Emma. What made her different to him?

"No, it's alright." As hard as she tried not to, her voice still cracked. "I have to get it out sometime, don't I?" She took a deep breath and gathered her courage.

"I have never been very healthy. Many doctors have tried to figure out why and how to cure me. I was kidnapped by some scientists who also wondered the same. But the methods they use are illegal and considered inhumane. That, of course, doesn't matter to them as long as they get the answers they want.

"It's been a year since they took me, a year since they stole me away from everything and everyone I know and love. And I wasn't the only one. There were 42 others with me at the beginning. Now there are less than 20. Holding out this long isn't really a blessing. It just means that your time is coming soon. And if the treatments don't hurt you, the scientists certainly will. They are anything but kind and caring. I fear that I won't last much longer. But I will welcome death with open arms. Anything is better than this. I only wish that I could have said goodbye to my family and told them how much I love them."

A few tears had escaped her eyes during her confession. But now, as she recognized the reality of death and mentioned her family, the dam broke and let the flood waters free. Emma hid her face with her hands and dropped to her knees as she let a year's worth of tears flow free. She was so wrapped up in her emotions that she couldn't sense anything from Loki. She all but forgot about him, until she felt a pair of arms around her shoulders.

"Now I know what you meant," he said, referring to her comment about storms and judging others.

Emma sensed that he was sincere. He wanted to take away her pain, but he didn't know how. She felt the same way about him. Perhaps if she knew more about his background. . .

Emma wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up into his. "I shared my sob story. Care to tell me yours?" His eyes darkened for a minute, and she sensed that he was as reluctant to tell as she had been. And, for some reason, he thought she would hate him if she knew the truth.

"I thought you said you studied Norse mythology." He was stalling.

"I have," she said, "but they're just stories. They've been around for years. Details and facts are often lost or exaggerated over time. There's one myth that says you gave birth to an eight-legged horse."

"WHAT!?"

His shock and embarrassment at such a false story was so great that Emma couldn't help but laugh out loud. She laughed for a long time. Loki retracted his arms and crossed them over his chest. Emma sensed his annoyance and immediately shut up.

"Thank you." There was sarcasm in his voice.

"Sorry." She gave him a sheepish grin and he smiled.

"I'll have to set your stories straight sometime," he said, "but you asked for a different tale." He took a deep breath, and Emma sensed that he was gathering his courage as she had. "I have always lived in the shadow of my brother, Thor. In a realm where strength is valued above everything else, I was a sorcerer and strategist. I preferred to outsmart my enemies. But no matter how good I was, Thor was always better. Even our father favored him over me.

"Then I found out that I'm not really Odin's son and Thor isn't really my brother. That only made the hurt worse. Odin confessed that I was the son of the Frost Giant king, the monster that parents tell their children about at night. He found me abandoned and decided to use me as a political tool to help bring peace.

"I tried to prove myself a worthy son to Odin, by my method was considered madness. In the end, I tried to take my own life and instead was saved by a being from another world. Long story short, I began to desire to rule Earth and its people. So I invaded with an army. But I was defeated by Thor and a group of mutant humans called the Avengers. My brother brought me back to Asgard, and now I await my punishment."

The two dreamers were silent. Emma could tell he was waiting for her to yell and scream foul words at him. She was focused on something else. All through his speech, his anger and hatred grew until it was so great she felt like she was in the heart of a volcano about to erupt.

"Why?" She didn't have to specify what. He could tell.

"I was angry with Odin for not telling me the truth, for always looking down on me and looking at Thor like he was his Golden Child. I hated him for treating me as if I was just something he kept around until I became useful. I hated Thor because he was so full of himself that he only saw what he accomplished and not whatever I did to help him. I was always by his side. But no matter what I did, it was always Thor who was praised by Odin. I wanted to show the both of them just how much I could do."

"Do you regret Odin saving you when your real family left you to die? Do you wish he hadn't?" Loki turned and stared at her. She already knew the answer to both of those questions.

"If you already know then why ask me?"

"Because I want to hear it from your own mouth, in your own words."

Loki looked away. He was breathing deeply, trying to calm himself after all the emotions that had swarmed his heart. Emma sensed the anger and hatred fade. In its' place came love and longing.

"No," Loki finally answered. "If it came to it, I would give my life to protect Thor. No matter how hard I try, I can never forget all we did together. I can never forget how he tried to reason with me, how much he cares for me. Even though we are not related by blood, he still calls me his brother. And so I am."

Emma sensed that he was sincere. He had been so confused for so long. Now everything was becoming clear. She wiped away a tear that was sliding down his cheek and opened her mouth to speak. But before she could say anything, a jolt of excruciating pain shot through her and she cried out.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Loki was holding her again. He knew she was afraid, and that alone scared him. She wrapped her arms around him.

"Something is happening to my body," she whispered. "It's pulling me back, but I don't want to go. I want to stay here. I want to stay with you."

"Just hold on." Now Loki was really scared. "I won't let you go."

But the fog was rolling in, and they both felt the waking world trying to draw them away. They tightened their hold on each other, but it was no use. The fog covered them and Loki shouted out.

"EMMA!"

Another jolt of pain and Emma opened her eyes. The pain was through her entire body.

_Am I finally dying? If so, then let my last word be. . ._

The whitecoats rushed in and injected a needle into her arm. Emma's world began to grow black. But this time, she knew she would not see him.

"Loki."

The darkness took her.

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So what did you think? I didn't mess up on Loki's part, did I? And please tell me because I can't sense what you feel and think like they can.

What's going to happen to Emma? What's going to happen to Loki? Is anyone feeling the suspense?

I took a quote from the movie and put it somewhere in this chapter. Anyone know it? Please review and tell me.


	8. Chapter 8

SqueakyDolphin6: Glad you're enjoying it.

blondehairedknowitall: Thank you. I was worried I might mess up, epically.

The Yoshinator: Holy what now?

Tiyrn: Now you do. Don't worry. Keep reading.

gracelpv: Glad you think so. Thank you.

YellowHawkDawn: Glad you tucking love my story. Keep reading.

lwolf: Broken keyboards suck. In this story, Thor is the kind to give help without being asked. This is about the only talent I have that I can share.

NoVacancyMind: Glad you're intrigued. I love it when I find a story that catches my attention. Keep reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of the mythology. Bummer, I know.

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Chapter Eight: Can you see her?

"EMMA!"

Loki's eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly, breathing hard. Emma's pain had been so intense that when he sensed it, he felt it as his own. He remembered her eyes; so beautiful, but contorted by fear. She wasn't just afraid of what was happening to her. She was terrified. And whatever made Emma afraid, Loki was afraid for her.

He looked around and noticed a tray of food on the table. _I must have slept through Thor's entrance. That's a first. _He would have laughed at his little joke, but his mind kept going back to Emma. He barely tasted the food as he ate. _Great Yggdrasil, please let her be alright._

He was just finishing when Thor walked in. He caught his brother's eyes.

"I didn't want to wake you," Thor said. "I assumed you were dreaming about Emma."

"I was," Loki whispered.

"Then why do I get the feeling that something is wrong?" Thor asked.

Loki looked down. Neither of them spoke for a minute.

"She is in pain," Loki finally said, "and she is afraid. I cannot stop worrying about her. I won't stop worrying until I see her again and know that she is safe."

"Would you be satisfied asking Heimdall to search for her?"

Loki looked up at Thor. His puzzlement at his brother's words could not have been more obvious than if he had "I'm confused" written on his forehead.

"I was able to get permission from Father to take you out for a bit," Thor explained. "If you want, we could go see Heimdall and ask him to search for Emma."

Loki stared at Thor for a minute. Even after everything he had done to him, Thor was still thinking of his brother. It was as if nothing had happened between them. While he normally would have made a sarcastic remark, Loki's concern for Emma and desire to know what had happened to her was so great that he really didn't care about anything else.

"Yes," he finally said. "I would like that. Thank you, Thor."

The God of thunder smiled at his brother, and the two of them walked out of the cell together.

They passed many people on their way out of the palace. Pretty much everyone sent dirty looks in Loki's direction. He didn't notice a single one. All he could think about was Emma. They finally reached the courtyard, where a couple of guards stood holding the reins of their stallions. The two princes mounted and galloped away towards the broken end of the Bifrost.

A while later, they arrived and dismounted. Thor and Loki walked together to stand on either side of Heimdall, who had his back towards Asgard. He faced the abyss, his eyes continuing to look across the worlds. The silence did not last more than five seconds.

"I am surprised that you did not come to inquire about Jane," Heimdall's deep voice rang out, speaking to Thor who stood on his right.

"Unless you have something different to report," Thor responded, "there are more urgent matters to take care of."

"I cannot see into the dreams of others," the gatekeeper said. "Describe Emma to me."

Loki didn't even blink when Heimdall spoke her name, but his heart tightened up and his eyes grew watery.

"Early twenties in mortal years; light brown hair; eyes that are a mix of blue and green."

"That describes many women on Earth. You must be more specific."

"Last night she told me that she had been kidnapped by scientists because she had never been healthy. They torture her in an attempt to discover how to make weak people strong. She is one of less than twenty remaining. Before our dream ended, she was in great pain. . ."

"I see her." Heimdall cut him off midsentence. Loki didn't care.

"How is she?" he asked impatiently. "Is she alright?"

"Her body has become unstable," Heimdall reported. "It is rejecting a year's worth of toxins and poisons that the scientists have thoughtlessly put into it." Loki breathed deeply to try and calm himself.

"She calls out your name."

Loki's mind went blank for a second, then a few tears rolled down his face. He realized that he had been holding his breath and exhaled. More tears fell from his eyes and he turned away from the others.

"I am sorry I cannot give you better news." Heimdall himself sounded sad. Even Thor could not help the lump that grew in his throat.

Loki walked back to his horse. Thor followed him, torn as to what he could possibly say to comfort his brother. They mounted and turned their horses towards Asgard. But before they could leave, Heimdall spoke.

"Fear not. Rescue is coming for her, in more ways than one. You will be reunited with her soon."

Loki's hand clenched around the reins. He kicked his horse into a gallop and rode away. Thor followed him. Heimdall briefly glanced back at the fading figures, then resumed his watch over the sleeping mortal girl who continued to call out a single name.

The wind dried Loki's tears once they had left his eyes, but it could not stop them altogether. He could hear Thor shouting to him, but ignored him. After a minute, Thor gave up.

Soon they were back in the courtyard. Those who were nearby left swiftly when they saw the look on Loki's face. The only ones who remained were Sif and the Warriors Three. Loki quickly dismounted and handed the reins to a guard, then proceeded to walk away, not caring where he was going. He had entered the palace, the hallway completely empty, when Thor caught up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Everything will work out, Brother. Do not fret. Heimdall said. . ."

"Heimdall is a gatekeeper!" Loki shouted angrily. "He is not an oracle or a seer! How would he know what's going to happen to her?"

"You're getting worked up over a woman?" Fandral taunted as he and the others walked up to them. "What did she do to get on your bad side?"

"Do not presume to know that which you do not understand!" Loki roared and took a menacing step towards Fandral, who backed up in fear.

"Stop it." This came from Sif as she and Thor grabbed Loki's arms to hold him back while Hogun and Volstagg stepped in front of their friend.

Loki tore out of Sif's and Thor' hold and turned away. He began to take a step when he saw Odin standing only a few yards away from him.

"What do you want?" he asked, venom dripping from his voice.

"Is it true you dream about a mortal woman?" Odin asked. Loki's eyes went wide, then he turned to look accusingly at Thor.

"Loki, I swear, I said nothing to him," Thor defended himself. Loki knew that Thor wouldn't lie about something like that. He turned back to the man he once saw as his father.

"How I found out is of little importance," Odin said. "Is it true?"

"I have nothing to say to you," Loki hissed at him. Thor quickly stepped between them.

"Father, please, let this matter go." Thor didn't want anyone to upset Loki even more, especially after what Heimdall had said.

"You've done enough, Thor." It had been his suggestion to visit Heimdall, and that had really shaken Loki up. He thought it would have been better if he hadn't said yes.

Before anyone could say anything else, a burst of energy came from the wall next to them. Everyone turned to look as a few more bursts came from what looked like a very small portal. At the moment it was only big enough for a mouse. But as they watched, they could see that it was steadily growing bigger.

"What is this?" Thor asked.

"An after-effect," Odin explained. "Stray energy that is gathering in one place so that it can release itself."

"Where is it coming from?" Sif asked.

"It comes from not only the destruction of the Bifrost," answered Odin, "but also the portals created by the Tesseract."

"So I'm to blame," Loki said flatly.

"I was the one who destroyed the Bifrost," Thor said, "so I share that blame."

"But you wouldn't have had to destroy the bridge if it were not for me," Loki reminded him. Thor shut up.

The portal was now big enough that they could see what was on the other side of this door. It was a dark room, with only one light, and looked like it was used for storage. Gun shots and angry shouts were heard. Whoever it was that was yelling, they were chasing something or someone. And they desperately wanted to make sure they got it. A scream followed a few shots, but the shouts didn't stop. They were chasing more than one.

A figure ran into the room and directly into the light. Loki's heart stopped. Wearing a plain white dress, her light brown hair in a messy braid, and her blue-green eyes wide with fright, there was no mistaking it.

"EMMA!"

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Can you handle the suspense? What's going to happen next? Review and stay tuned.


	9. Chapter 9

blondehairedknowitall: Emma will definitely help mend that brotherly bond.

NoVacancyMind: Yes, I am cruel. What makes you think I'm a woman?

The Yoshinator: Your question will be answered in this chapter. I usually just keep my mouth shut when I'm freaking out 'cause I know I'm not going to say anything that makes sense.

Tiyrn: It's called a cliffhanger. It keeps the readers interested.

gracelvp: Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Marvel or Norse Mythology.

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Chapter Nine: Don't Leave Me

(After dream/before portal)

Emma's head felt heavy as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked around and saw that she was in what appeared to be a hospital room, but there was a familiar whitecoat in the room so she was still at the lab. It was the blond woman wearing enough make-up for ten circus clowns. She was looking at what were obviously the results to whatever tests they had performed. An I.V. was attached to Emma's arm. Luckily, that was the only thing attached to her.

Emma groaned and sat up. The whitecoat ignored her. Another whitecoat, an Asian male, walked in and started to talk to the blond in whispers so low that Emma couldn't hear. She took deep breaths to clear her head and massaged the pressure points in her hand, another technique her brothers had found in their research and recommended. She felt fine after a couple of minutes. The whitecoats were still talking. Emma caught the words "toxins" and "defense system." She was about to ask what they meant, even though she knew they wouldn't answer, when the door suddenly slammed open.

Emma watched in shock as one of her fellow test subjects, a redheaded woman about her age, aimed a gun at and shot the whitecoats. They fell to the ground and she ran over to Emma.

"What's going on?" Emma asked as the redhead began to pull the I.V. out of her arm and help her out of the bed.

"The government's here," was the reply. "The scientists don't want to be caught red-handed, so they're rounding up and killing whoever's left."

"The government?"

"Yes. Do you know who Captain America is?" Emma nodded. "Apparently, the scientists don't give a rat's a*** about helping sick people. They just want to make some kind of serum like his, and we're the expendable test subjects. They chose weak people for two reasons. 1) If the serum works, they'll see exactly how strong it will make people. 2) If it doesn't, then society loses, as I heard someone say, 'failures to evolution, leaving room for the worthy achievements.' They're just as bad as Hitler."

The I.V. was out, and the redhead helped Emma to the door. They looked out to make sure no one was around.

"We need to find a place to hide until the Feds can arrest all the scientists." The redhead grabbed Emma's hand and led her down the hallway. They hadn't gone far before they heard a commotion behind them. They looked back to see at least half a dozen whitecoats chasing them. And they each had a gun.

The two women turned a corner and ran down that hallway. They heard the whitecoats shouting frantically.

"Don't let them get away!"

"Shoot on sight!"

"They can't live to testify against us!"

Emma and the redhead kept turning corners when they saw the whitecoats. They were going as fast as they could, but they knew that they couldn't keep it up. They were starting to tire out, and Emma could hear the redhead breathing funny.

"At the next. . . corner, keep running," she wheezed out. "There are. . . some storage rooms. . . around here. Hide. . . in one of them. . . until a government. . . agent finds. . . you."

"What about you?" Emma asked.

"I'll stay and. . . try to buy you. . . some time." The redhead looked at Emma and smiled. "Don't worry. . . about me. My. . . time was coming. . . anyway."

They turned the corner. Emma kept running while the redhead crouched down. Shots were fired. Emma faltered for a bit when she heard a scream and the shots stopped for a few seconds.

"She's dead!"

"Get the other one!"

Emma ran into a dark storage room with only one light and turned around. They would be here soon. How was she supposed to find a place to hide where they would overlook her?

"EMMA!"

Her heart stopped. She knew that voice. She turned and saw what she recognized from science-fiction movies as a portal. On the other side was a group of six men and one woman. One of those men was. . .

"LOKI!" Emma shouted out his name as she smiled and ran towards the portal. At the same time, Loki ran towards her. Emma passed through the portal right into Loki's arms. She threw her arms around his neck, and he threw his around her waist. They hugged each other tightly. All other thoughts were blocked out. In his embrace, Emma felt safe. She didn't have anything to worry abo. . .

"Look out!" a woman's voice shouted in warning.

Too late, Emma remembered the portal and the whitecoats who wanted to kill her. She turned around.

BANG!

Emma felt a cold fire in her chest as she watched the portal, which had shrunk by half while she was embracing Loki, closed completely. The whitecoats couldn't follow her, but it didn't matter now. One of them had hit their mark. She didn't have to look down at her chest to know that the front of her dress was now red.

Emma's legs failed her and she collapsed. Loki caught her as she fell. She looked into his emerald eyes as she felt her life fading away.

"Don't leave," she whispered.

"I won't," Loki told her as a tear fell from his eye onto her cheek.

"Stay with me until the end."

"You're not going to die. I won't let you."

Emma reached up and touched his face. He took her hand and held it, afraid to let go.

"At least. . ." Emma struggled to say, "I got. . . to see you. . . one last. . . time."

Emma's vision darkened and she grew cold. She could feel Loki holding her close to him.

"Emma, no!" he pleaded. "Don't go! Stay with me!" His voice was so close, yet it sounded so far.

"I have a healing stone," an unfamiliar voice called out.

Emma felt a strange powder fall onto her chest where the bullet had struck. The pain slowly faded away as she finally drifted into unconsciousness.

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How was that? What's going to happen next? Can you handle the suspense? Ignore that last question. I can tell from the reviews for last chapter that you can't. Please review.

Bonus: What movie is Emma's last words from? Name the movie and the character who said it.


	10. Chapter 10

blondehairedknowitall: Here's the next chapter. The suspense won't end until the story is completely finished so try and hold out.

The Yoshinator: I'll usually just stare at the screen will my mouth open, mentally shouting "WHAT!?" You probably have heard it before. Usually when I wonder about things like that, I'll realize it later and think "Well, duh!"

Blairx6661: Here's "Another!" chapter for you.

YellowHawkDawn: Thank you. More cliffhangers in the future. Hope you enjoy them.

: Some people like cliffhangers and they add to the suspense. Pout all you like. I do what I want.

Tiryn: The whitecoats always ruin everything. Maximum Ride is awesome. So is sarcasm.

Congrats to blondehairedknowital, LadyReaper1992, and YellowHawkDawn for getting the bonus right: The Beast/Prince from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Disclaimer

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Chapter Ten

When Loki held Emma in his arms, he felt that his world was more whole than it had ever been before. When he saw her fall, he felt like his world was breaking into pieces so small they would never be found.

"Don't leave," he heard Emma whisper.

"I won't." He took no notice of the tear that fell from his eye onto her cheek.

"Stay with me until the end."

"You're not going to die. I won't let you." _I just found you after I thought I had lost you forever. I won't let you go so easily._

He took Emma's hand as she reached up and touched his face. He held it tight, clinging for dear life.

"At least. . ." It seemed as if she was struggling to get the words out. "I got. . . to see you. . . one last. . . time."

Her eyes started to close.

"Emma, no!" This could not be happening! "Don't go! Stay with me!"

"I have a healing stone." Hogun knelt beside him and held the stone above Emma's wound. He crushed it into a powder, which fell onto her bloodstained dress. Loki watched as the stone did its work. After what felt like hours, but was really only half a minute, the wound was healed and the blood was gone.

Loki saw that Emma was unconscious and checked her pulse. When he found it, he sighed in relief. She was alive, and she was with him. She would be alright.

Loki felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Thor.

"You should probably get her to the healing room," the blond told him. "Remember what Heimdall said."

Loki nodded. How could he forget? He picked up Emma and started to walk away. He caught Odin's eye as he passed him. The look on the Allfather's face clearly said that they were not done with each other.

Thor accompanied Loki to the healing room. Sif and the Warriors Three left to finish the training session they had been in the middle of, but not before Loki thanked Hogun for using the healing stone on Emma.

When they arrived, Loki explained Emma's situation to the healers and recounted what had just occurred. One of the healers took Emma from him and walked into another room so that they could better determine what was wrong with her. Loki tried to follow but was blocked by another healer.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but you cannot be with her at this time."

Of course, Loki didn't take that news very well.

"What do you mean I cannot be with her?" His voice was slightly raised. "I will not leave her side until I know she is well."

Thor could immediately tell where this was going. He knew that if Loki was left to his own devices, chaos would arouse. His brother was already in enough trouble. An idea came to him and he pulled Loki towards the entrance.

"Let go of me, Thor," Loki said as he attempted to struggle out of Thor's grip.

"Listen, brother," Thor said in his most persuasive voice, "If you cause a scene, Father could decide that you should stay in your cell with no visitors. He may decide to keep you and Emma as far away from each other as possible. You've done all you can for now."

"I don't want to leave her alone," Loki said quietly, silently acknowledging the truth in Thor's words.

"Would Emma want you to be punished for her sake?"

Loki silently cursed. Thor had hit him exactly where he knew it would hurt. It was pointless to try and argue further. He let Thor steer him out of the healing room and back towards his cell.

The door closed and locked behind him, and Loki sat down hard on the bed. He put his face in his hands and tried to block out the images running through his mind. Hearing Emma scream in pain was one thing. Seeing her lying there helpless while her blood, her life, left her was another thing entirely. He would not be at peace until he saw for himself that she was alright.

Thor came in not long after with Loki's lunch. He didn't even touch any of it. When Thor came back with dinner and saw Loki's uneaten food, he stayed and stared at his brother. It was five minutes before the silence was broken.

"Why are you still here?" Loki's voice had such a mixture of tones that Thor couldn't identify any. That itself was not a good sign.

"What are you doing to yourself?" Thor asked with great concern.

"Leave me be," Loki hissed.

"Emma would not want you to do this." A low blow, Thor knew, but it was probably the only thing that would work right now. Loki stood up and glared at his brother with eyes that could melt all of Jotunheim in two seconds. _That worked a little too well _Thor thought too late.

"Do not attempt to use her against me!" Loki shouted. "Especially while she is recovering from a near-death experience!"

"I have been inquiring as to her condition every hour," Thor said, trying to calm him. "The healers say that she is in no more danger from the wound she received."

"What else besides that?"

Thor stared at Loki, obviously confused as to what he meant. He didn't need to say anything. Loki could read his face.

"I told you that she has constantly had medical issues," Loki explained. "It's what got her in this situation to begin with. That's not going to change overnight, even with our best healers giving more than all they have."

Thor could see that his brother was truly worried about Emma. He tried to think of something to say that would reassure him. Then he remembered how the two had met.

"She is sleeping now."

"That knowledge does not help," Loki said, sitting back down.

"I mean, she is probably dreaming."

Loki was so caught up in his own thoughts that a minute passed before he realized what exactly Thor had said. He looked up, but the God of thunder was already walking out. Loki waited until all was silent before he lay down on his back and closed his eyes.

* * *

Emma was walking through the fog for so long that she felt she might never reach the meadow. Of course, then she wondered how she even knew she was going the right way. Then again, was she even still alive? Or was this Heaven and she was only fooling herself? The fog suddenly lifted and revealed the meadow. But all Emma saw was a familiar person standing there with his back turned towards her. A surge of joy flooded her, and the figure quickly turned around.

Loki felt Emma's joy, which matched his own. He ran towards her as she ran towards him, just like they had when they saw each other through the portal. Their arms wrapped around each other, and Loki actually picked her up and spun her around. When he felt himself swaying he stopped, but they didn't let go of each other for another minute.

They finally separated so they could look into the other's eyes, emerald meeting ocean. Both could feel the other's happiness, each for different reasons.

"You've been worried about me," Emma stated.

"Why wouldn't I be?" was Loki's response. "You were afraid." Emma nodded.

"Why wouldn't I be?" They both laughed.

"I'm glad I could finally meet you," Emma said. "I was afraid that you were just a dream."

"I knew that you were real," Loki responded. "I hoped that I could meet you somewhere other than our dreams. And I did, just not how I expected."

"What happened after I passed out?" Emma asked. "I thought for sure I was going to die. I heard something about a healing stone."

Loki summed up the events of that morning. He ended with the conversation between Thor and himself, and falling asleep so that he could see her again. Before Emma could respond, the fog began to roll in.

"It seems like the night goes by so quickly," she said, "while the days are long."

"I will visit you in the waking world," Loki promised her.

Emma smiled as the fog separated them, and all they could see of each other was their eyes.

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How was that? Did I do okay, or am I totally butchering it? More Loki-Emma scenes in the next chapter. Review and let me know what you think.


	11. Chapter 11

Blondehairedknowitall: Glady you love it. Keep reading.

The Yoshinator: Don't worry. The depressing parts will pass. Eventually.

Tiryn: More sweet moments to come.

YamiNoRei: Thanks. It's important to have a good writing style, otherwise it's all a big mess. Also important to keep the audience on their toes, or else they lose interest. Keep reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Marvel.

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Chapter Eleven: First Real Meeting

Emma could hear the healers whispering, and she could feel the soft mattress beneath her and the silky sheets that covered her. She hadn't, however, opened her eyes yet. They felt as heavy as lead. Her head ached with a dull thud, and she felt a slight tingling where the bullet had hit.

She lay like that for a while, forcing herself to stay awake but not making an effort to open her eyes and let that fact be known. It wasn't until she heard doors opening, followed by a familiar voice, that she forced her eyelids to lift. There he was, the God of mischief. She smiled as he looked at her. He smiled back and walked over to her.

Loki sat down in a chair on Emma's left side and took her hand in his own. They looked at each other for about a minute before he spoke.

"It's strange to see you again without sensing your thoughts. I almost feel like a deaf person."

Emma let out a short laugh, then whispered "I guess we'll just have to say what we think and feel."

"What are you thinking right now?"

"You're a lot sexier in person." Emma laughed loud at the blush that crept onto Loki's face. It could almost have been mistaken for a really bad sunburn. By the time she was done, his face had returned to its normal color. "Your turn. What are you thinking?"

"Before or after you shared your thoughts?" Loki inquired with a suspicious look on his face.

"Both," Emma answered, "if you want to."

"Alright then." Loki smiled mischievously, and Emma knew that he was going to live up to his title. "Before, I was relieved to see you awake and smiling. After, I wondered why I never sensed any thoughts from you about my 'sexiness' when in our dreams."

"I didn't think about it then," Emma answered. "I only thought about it after I woke up, when I could think about it and you wouldn't sense it."

"You did it on purpose, you little fox." He tried to sound offended, and failed. Loki ended up laughing along with Emma. He only stopped when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Odin entering. Emma noticed this. She also noticed that the hand she was holding tensed slightly.

"It is good to see you awake," Odin said to Emma. "You had us worried there for a minute."

_You were not worried at all, old man _Loki thought angrily.

"Thank you," Emma replied, though she had a feeling he wasn't really telling the truth. She snuck a glance at Loki and could tell that he thought the same. She squeezed his hand a bit. He looked at her and she smiled. He smiled back.

"Loki, I need to speak to you. Alone."

Loki's smile faded when Odin spoke again. He did not want to speak to the Allfather right now, and he most certainly did not want to be alone with him.

Emma could feel his hesitation. Thinking fast, she reached with her right hand so that she was now holding Loki's hand with both of hers.

"Don't go," she said, trying to sound as pathetic and scared as possible. "Please don't leave me."

Loki moved his left hand to cup her cheek, stroking it with his thumb and wiping away the tear she had managed to procure. He turned his head to look at Odin.

"Whatever it is you have to say," he spat out, "you can say it here."

He thought Odin would object, but the Allfather just moved closer until he stood at the foot of Emma's bed. Thor, who had accompanied Loki, stood off to the side, ready to intervene in case things got out of control. The healers silently left. They did not want to stick around for the fireworks to come. For a minute, one could have heard a pin drop in the silence that fell over the room. Odin was the first to break it.

"When did you start dreaming about Emma?"

"Why do you wish to know that?" Loki stalled.

"You do not need to know my reasons just yet," Odin responded. "Answer my question."

"What will you do if I refuse to?" Loki remembered Frigga telling him that there was a purpose to everything that Odin did. And now, Odin obviously had some purpose in mind for Emma. Loki didn't want to know what it was. He only knew that he wasn't going to let Emma become a pawn for Odin, not like he himself had almost been to his adopted father.

"Then I will find the answers I need through other means." Odin looked at Thor. Loki followed his line of sight. Thor looked back and forth between his father's demanding gaze and his brother's trusting look.

His heart was almost torn. Almost. His loyalty to Odin had started wavering when Loki's story had been revealed to him. Thor had his own opinions concerning that matter, and they were not in the Allfather's favor.

"I'm sorry, Father," Thor finally said, "but Loki trusted me with his secrets and I will not betray them. This story is his to share, not mine."

Thor looked back to Loki and saw the hint of a true smile on his brother's face, as well as the "Thank you" that was in his eyes.

Odin turned back to his adopted son and the mortal girl that he so obviously cared about greatly. Loki looked at Odin, and his eyes filled with hatred once again.

"I will not tell you anything, so stop wasting your breath." Even when he spoke, hatred dripped from Loki's words like poison from a cobra's fangs.

"It is not just your story."

Loki's mind paused at those last words that came from Odin. He tried to figure it out, then felt Emma squeezing his hand. He turned to her and saw her scared face. Then he realized. It was also her story. If Odin could not get answers from him or Thor, then he would turn to Emma.

Fortunately, the doors opened before Odin could begin to interrogate Emma. The room's four occupants looked to see Frigga enter. Her beautiful face was pale, as if all the blood had drained from it. She was frightened. And if anyone knew Frigga, they knew that she was never frightened easily, and never for herself.

"Mother, what is wrong?" Thor went to her side and took her hand in his own.

She looked at each person, including Emma, in turn, resting at Loki for a moment longer than everyone else before stopping at Odin.

"I just received word from Heimdall," she said. "Laufey is alive. He is here, and demanding Loki's life.

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Cliffhanger! So what do you think? How is Laufey alive? Is this the end of Loki? What will happen to Emma? Review, keep reading, and find out.


	12. Chapter 12

blondehairedknowitall: I hope that people look forward to future chapters. If they don't, I'm not doing my job as a writer.

hungergamesawesomeness: Of course I'll write more. I can't just leave people hanging.

The Yoshinator: Loki didn't stab him. He blasted Laufey with Gungnir and killed him. At least, he thought he did. And it was in Odin's chambers, not the throne room.

Tiryn: Language.

Delletaasewing: Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Thor _or _Avengers_.

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Chapter 12: Final Parting?

There was silence all around while Frigga's words sunk in. It was broken by a soft, timid voice.

"Who's Laufey?"

Everyone turned to look at who spoke. Emma was only looking at Loki.

"Why does he want you dead?"

Loki squeezed the hand he was holding. There was no way he could lie to her.

"Laufey is the king of the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. I deceived him, or at least I thought I did. I told him that I would return something that Odin took from them if Laufey would kill him. Instead I killed Laufey, thinking that I would somehow prove myself a worthy son to Odin. Except Laufey seems to somehow have come back to life."

Emma squeezed his hand and gave him a sympathetic smile. She remembered from Loki's story that the Frost Giant king was his father, which made that Laufey.

"Does he know that you're his son?" she asked. Loki shook his head.

"I do not believe so," he said, "unless he saw my arm turn blue during the battle when a Frost Giant touched me."

"That explains why I found you in the weapons vault after I brought you back."

Loki turned to Odin with one of those "We were having a moment here. Shut up!" looks on his face.

"How is Laufey still alive?" Loki silently thanked Thor for taking over. He was ready to rip Odin's heart out for a moment. Of course, he first had to actually have a heart for Loki to rip out.

"From what Heimdall has told me," Frigga began, "he used an illusion, one that had form and was solid. He made it strong enough to fool anyone trained to see through illusions."

"It certainly fooled me," Loki said. "But why did he do it?"

"Perhaps he suspected your trickery. You are the God of lies." Loki once again glared at Odin.

"I was lied to my entire life," he spat out, venom dripping from his voice. "What else would you expect?"

Frigga quickly stepped between her husband and adopted son, sending hurt and angry glares from one to the other.

"This has gone far enough!" she shouted. "End your quarrel now. There are more important matters to attend to."

Silence followed this. Loki and Thor had never seen their mother so angry before. Odin remembered his wife's fury after he had banished Thor (**A/N: deleted scene; can find it on YouTube**), but it paled in comparison to the wrath that was radiating from her now.

Emma didn't even blink. She had heard her own mother use a similar tone and voice before and during the divorce. She simply waited for the goddess to calm down. Frigga had to take several deep breaths before that happened, but she eventually calmed herself enough to continue Heimdall's report.

"Laufey's terms are that he takes Loki back to Jotunheim for what he calls a 'proper execution.' If we refuse, he will declare war."

"I do not wish to go to war with the Frost Giants," Thor said, walking to stand behind Loki, "but neither will I give them my brother, especially after I have just been reunited with him."

"I do not wish to surrender Loki to them, either," Odin said, "but I also cannot allow another war to break out."

"Do not lie to me," Loki said, letting go of Emma and standing up. "Why not hand me over to them? One less problem for you to deal with."

"Stop speaking like that." Frigga's voice once again began to rise.

All four members of the royal family began to talk at once, and all with loud voices that were slowly getting louder. While Odin was listing off how war would destroy Asgard, Loki proclaimed that none of this would be a problem if Odin had not taken him in the first place. Frigga accused Odin of being completely heartless concerning Loki, and Thor was loudly declaring that he would fight Laufey himself in defense of his brother.

When the argument rose to a crescendo, one voice rose above and silenced the rest.

"Why not just use Laufey's own trick against him?!"

The three Asgardians and one mini-Frost-Giant-in-disguise turned to look at the one who had spoken. Emma was sitting up, the covers thrown off and her legs hanging over the side of the bed. She placed her feet on the floor and tried to stand. She didn't even have a chance to straighten up before her legs turned to jelly. Loki caught her before she fell, and she held on to him for support. She smiled at him and mouthed "Thank you" before turning to the royals.

"The illusion that Laufey used," she stated. "If you can make one to look like Loki, you can give that to the Frost Giants instead. They'll kill that, they won't start a war, and the real Loki will be safe."

"If we follow through with that plan," Thor began, "Loki would have to leave Asgard and never return to insure that the Frost Giants do not discover the truth."

"And where would I go?" Loki wanted to believe in Emma's suggestion, but he also knew that no one, especially Odin, would want to just let him leave and live out the rest to his life where they could not keep an eye on him.

"That plan might not even work," Thor continued. "Laufey is smart. He will not fall for his own trick. And even if he did fall for it, he might possibly discover our deceit. He would then hunt down and kill Loki, and declare war on us as punishment for our lies."

Loki turned to the God of thunder.

"That may be the most intelligent thing I have ever heard you say."

Thor responded with just a look, not sure whether Loki was complimenting or insulting him.

"Laufey will not wait forever," Frigga said. "He waits at the broken end of the Bifrost, requesting that only the four of us go to speak to him. Anymore, and he will summon his soldiers."

"Then we must go." Odin turned to Loki and the mortal girl he held in his arms. "I apologize, Lady Emma, but you will have to stay here."

Odin turned away and left the room, Frigga following him out. Thor followed also, but stopped in the doorway and turned back to Loki. His brother was currently attempting to remove Emma's hands, which were holding onto his arms for dear life.

"Don't leave me," she pleaded in a whisper.

"I must go." He finally removed her hands from his arms, only to hold them in his own. "If I do not return, know that I will be watching over you from wherever I end up."

Emma was crying now. Thor walked over to them and grabbed Loki's arm, trying to pull him away. Loki let go and followed his brother out the door, glancing back to see two healers preventing Emma from running after him.

"No," she whispered. "No. Please, please, please don't leave me."

The doors closed, and Emma sank to her knees. The healers, thinking that she was too weak to do anything, let her go and walked away to attend to other duties. They didn't hear the next three words she spoke.

"I love you."

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Another cliffhanger. I got the idea for Laufey's illusion from Tamora Pierce's book Emperor Mage, from The Immortals quartet. Cyber cupcakes for the first person to guess the movie where I got Emma's last words and the character who said them.


	13. Chapter 13

bat3man: Nope.

blondehairedknowitall: Here you go.

The Yoshinator: He actually isn't as stupid as you think. The next few chapters will prove that.

Tiryn: I was referring to the f-word you said in your last review. Poor Emma indeed. The Yoshinator also called Laufey stupid.

hungergamesawesomeness: Your welcome. Correct movie. Which character?

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of _Marvel_.

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Chapter 13: Confrontation.

The four royals silently rode out to the edge of Asgard to meet with the King of Jotunheim. When they got close enough, they saw Laufey standing next to Heimdall.

Loki's heart stopped for a few beats. Laufey was not going to negotiate. He was going to kill him. His heart tightened up. He had not told Emma how he felt about her. And now he would never get the chance.

Their horses stopped and they dismounted, walking to stand before Laufey. Frigga stood on Odin's right, and Thor stood on his left. Loki came to stand beside his brother. Laufey looked back at them, giving looks of hatred to the three males, the majority of it directed at Loki. To Frigga, he simply gave a nod. After all, she was not guilty of any crimes towards him. Heimdall stood off to the side, interested to see how this meeting would play out.

No one said anything for a minute. The silence became very awkward. It was Frigga who broke the ice, so to speak.

"I am glad to see that you are still alive, Laufey." The three males who stood to her left silently thanked her.

"Luckily, I was able to see through my son's lies," Laufey replied, looking directly at Loki.

_Oh, s*** _thought Loki. _He knows._

"When did you learn that Loki was really your son?" Odin asked.

"Back on Jotunheim," Laufey answered, "during the battle."

_Oh, s*** again. _Loki was mentally kicking himself in the head right now.

"Why did you stay silent about your knowledge of the truth?" Thor inquired.

"I was curious to see what would happen." Laufey turned to Odin. "Perhaps the situation would have turned out better if I had confronted you." Odin stared back stoically. "Why did you take my son?"

"What would have been my fate if he had left me there that day?" Loki blurted out.

Laufey turned to look at the son he had never known.

"Would my reasons make a difference to you?"

"That depends on your answer."

"We are here to discuss Loki's future," Frigga said, not wanting to delve into the unpleasant subject of his adoption, "not his potential past."

Laufey briefly looked at her, then turned back to Odin once more.

"Whatever my personal feelings on the matter," he began, "I cannot forgive Loki's crimes against myself and the soldiers who had their lives cut short because of him."

"If you want vengeance for your fallen soldiers," Thor replied as his voice began to rise a bit, "then you shall have to punish me as well. It is more my fault than Loki's."

"Loki is a born Jotun," Laufey countered. "The laws are different for him. I shall forget your crimes if I am allowed to take Loki back to Jotunheim for trial."

"Loki has yet to be tried for his crimes on Midgard," Odin cut in. "He is a citizen of Asgard and my adopted son. These counter any claim you make. He shall have his trial here and serve out his sentence before I allow you to take him."

"Then the streets of Asgard shall run red with the blood of its people." Laufey's voice was as cold as the world he came from. "The Realm Eternal and all who dwell within it shall be no more."

Loki immediately thought back to Emma. He thought of her bright eyes, her beautiful smile, her musical laugh. He thought of all she had endured, of the spark of life that she had lost and then found again through him. He was a lost cause, but she was an innocent soul who now had a chance to live again. He could not deny her that.

"I will return to Jotunheim with Laufey," he announced.

"What?!" shouted both Thor and Frigga. They both had looks of shock and horror on their faces. Odin merely gave Loki a curious look.

Laufey, on the other hand, rather than reacting to Loki's declaration, was concentrating on a small figure on horseback that was rapidly approaching the end of the bridge.

"I believe I made it quite clear," he said in a voice that told those around him that he was extremely annoyed, "no one else was to come here."

The four Asgardians turned to see what Laufey saw.

"Heimdall," Odin asked, "who approaches?"

"It's Emma," was the response he gave.

The figure came close enough for them to see that it was, indeed, Emma. She had escaped the healing room and attempted to follow them. Becoming lost quite quickly, and, running into Hogun, had asked for his assistance. He had lent her his horse and given her directions where to find Loki.

(Later, Hogun would deny that he was won over by the look in Emma's eyes that told of her love for Loki. He would actually refuse to give any reasons to justify his actions. However, he received an excessive amount of teasing from Fandral, claiming that he was really a big softie. That ended when Hogun "borrowed" a spell from Loki that turned Fandral's golden hair bright, Barbie pink. Fandral had hid himself in his chambers for a month before the spell wore off. He made a mental note to himself never to tease Hogun again. Ever.)

The horse stopped a few yards away from them, and Emma dismounted. She ran towards Loki, who ran towards her. They met in the middle and threw their arms around each other. Loki broke the hug after a minute and looked Emma in the eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I wasn't going to let Laufey take you," Emma answered. "Not without a fight at least."

"He would overpower you in less than five seconds."

"At least I would have tried and failed rather than do nothing and accept it."

"But why?"

"Because I love you!"

Silence followed Emma's words. Even the bystanders seemed too shocked to say anything. Loki didn't respond with words, either. He just cupped Emma's face with one hand, and kissed her.

Pure bliss. That's the only description either of them would have been able to come up with. It lasted as long as they could hold their breath. They separated, gasping, and Loki tilted her head with his hand so they could look into each other's eyes.

"And I love you," he whispered.

Emma started crying. But this time, they weren't tears of pain or sadness. Rather, they were tears of love and happiness. Loki wiped the tears from her face and kissed her again. When they separated, a voice rang out.

"That's a relief. I thought I might actually have to kill you."

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How's that for a cliffhanger? So what do you think is gonna happen next? The more reviews I get, the faster I post the next chapter. So be sure to leave one for me.


	14. Chapter 14

blondehairedknowitall: More cuteness in chapters to come.

: Amusing in a good way or a bad way? I hope you like what happens. Does know you're using their profile?

The Yoshinator: Hogun _is _awesome. I really just put that in there for some laughs. What exactly do you find interesting?

Indiarlme: Thank you. Here you go.

hungergamesawesomeness: Bingo. And don't feel bad. I didn't even know how to spell certain words without looking them up. Pretty sure everyone has a love/hate relationship with cliffhangers.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Marvel_.

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Chapter 14: Good Guy?

"Well, that's a relief. I thought I might actually have to kill you."

The entire group, excluding Odin and Heimdall, turned to look in wonder at the one who spoke. Laufey just stood there, smiling.

"It is indeed a relief," said Odin. Now everyone turned and stared at him.

"What are you two talking about?" Frigga demanded in a voice that, when they were younger, would have made Thor and Loki run for cover. Now, the brothers merely shivered in fright. Their mother could be one very scary woman when she wanted to be. They believed she could even scare Odin at times. And nothing scared Odin.

Well. . . almost nothing.

"It's a bit of a long story," Odin cautiously said to his wife. Frigga crossed her arms and stared directly into her husband's eye.

"I'm listening."

Odin sighed in defeat. He knew she wouldn't leave him alone until she got the story out of him. Best to get it over with now instead of later.

"I knew from the beginning that Loki had not succeeded in killing Laufey," he began. "But I did not believe that anything could be done on the matter, as we all thought Loki was dead. After he was found on Midgard I considered going to see Laufey, but then I had to send Thor, which did not leave me strong enough to go to Jotunheim. Of course, that was when I had a vision of a Midgardian woman who would be able to reach into Loki's heart. After Thor brought Loki back, I finally went to see Laufey."

"And I confessed that I, too, had had visions," Laufey included, "not only of that same woman, but also Odin's confession of Loki's true parentage and everything that followed. We agreed that if this woman did exist, and if she and Loki could earn each other's love, then he would be forgiven of all his crimes and allowed to live out the rest of his life in peace."

"Like _Beauty and the Beast_," Emma commented.

"Pardon?" Laufey asked.

"It's a story. A handsome but cruel prince is cursed. Unless he can learn to love another, and earn her love for him, he would remain a beast forever."

"If you're Beauty," Loki teased, pretending to be hurt, "then what does that make me?"

"Quite an accurate description," Thor said with a smile. "You can be a bit of a beast sometimes."

"Says the one who sounds like a bilgesnipe when he tiptoes."

Thor threw back his head and laughed, loud and long. Emma had to cover her ears to keep from going deaf.

"So what happens now?" Frigga asked. "Their love is mutual, his crimes are forgiven: what is to be done with him?"

Loki turned to Odin and Laufey with a look that was attached to many questions.

"He is a free man now," Odin answered. "He may go where he pleases, on the condition that he does not make trouble."

"None at all?" Loki feigned hurt. "That goes against my very nature."

"Think of it as a challenge," Odin replied. "You could never resist a challenge."

Loki had to smile at that. He did love a good challenge.

* * *

The Asgardians and Emma said goodbye to Laufey, and waited until he had left for Jotunheim before returning to the palace. Emma once again found herself in the healing room, and watched in amusement as Frigga literally dragged Odin away by the ear to give him a thorough lecture somewhere private. Loki and Thor, who had stayed with Emma, laughed and smiled knowingly at each other at the sight of Odin being castigated by their mother. Emma sat on the bed given to her, with Loki sitting next to her and Thor standing off to the side.

"So where will you go now, Brother?" Thor asked.

"I'm not your brother." This did not have the effect it usually did, as Loki was still smiling when he said it. "Perhaps I shall return to Midgard."

"After you just tried to rule it?"

"I will not go with the same intentions as last time. Besides, I grew a bit fond of it. And there is a certain family I should like to meet."

Loki looked at Emma. Her eyes went wide with excitement and she smiled big.

"Oh, I would love to introduce you to my family. Warning: they're a bit crazy." Emma remembered her family with fondness. "My mother would be all over you, since I've never had a boyfriend and she was always trying to set me up with people. My brothers would bother you nonstop with questions. Be wary of my stepfather. He's very protective of me."

"I'm sure we will get along just fine," Loki assured her.

"Perhaps I should remind you that Nick Fury will not welcome you back to Earth with open arms." Loki frowned a bit at Thor's comment. Odin and Laufey might leave him alone, but the human Cyclops most certainly would not.

"I could ask my stepfather if he could talk to him," Emma said. "He works for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"He does?" Loki asked. He was pleased with Emma's suggestion, but he didn't think it would be enough to sway Fury.

"Yes," Emma answered. "So does my uncle. They could both try. And Nick likes me. He's come to my house many times. I could probably talk to him myself."

"Are you quite sure you can persuade him to leave Loki in peace?" Thor asked.

"Even if he doesn't listen to me," Emma responded, "he'll listen to Cody and Uncle Phil, and they'll listen to me."

"Phil. . . Coulson?" Loki asked hesitantly. Emma looked at him with suspicion in her eyes.

"Yes. I'm guessing you've met him?"

Loki was silent, not knowing what to say. It was Thor who answered.

"You may have some difficulty convincing him. Loki stabbed him with his scepter when he was on Midgard." Emma turned to him, fear showing on her face. "He did not die, however. If I remember correctly, his body merely went into a self-induced coma as to better heal itself. He was awake when I left, so I had a chance to say goodbye to him. He did threaten a horrible death for Loki if he ever saw him again."

"I purposefully made sure to miss his vital organs," Loki defended himself. "I did not want to kill him. I only wanted to leave him incapable of stopping me."

"You got lucky," Emma said, glaring lightly at Loki and bursting out laughing when he showed fear. After she got her laughter under control, she continued. "I guess I'll have to appeal to his annoyance. Fury can get on his nerves sometimes."

"I did hear something about Fury getting blood on his vintage Captain America trading cards," Thor mentioned.

Emma's ears perked up at this. She knew, as well as anyone else, how proud Phil was of those cards. Of course he would throw a fit if they were damaged in any way. Blood wasn't easy to get out. Emma would bet anything that her uncle would demand that Fury find replacement cards.

"Well, now I know what I'm going to use in my argument," Emma said with a sly smile.

"Little fox," Loki muttered under his breath. The words didn't escape Emma's ears. She smiled and smacked his arm playfully. He laughed a bit and smiled back. They kissed, and Thor backed out of the room so they could get some privacy.

He made his way to the training fields, where Sif and the Warriors Three would be waiting eagerly for news. He passed his parents' chambers, the doors slightly ajar. Looking through the small opening, Thor saw Odin sitting down, looking weary as Frigga paced in front of him, shouting in ancient Norse. Thor quickly walked away, waiting until he was out of hearing range before snickering at his father's fate.

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I was sad when Phil died, so I decided to bring him back. Making him Emma's uncle was a bonus. And sorry, Odin, but there are certain characters that I just love to torture and you're one of them. So what does my audience think? Review and let me know.


	15. Chapter 15

blondehairedknowitall: Thanks. Glad to know someone thinks I'm brilliant. And Frigga is totally awesome.

The Yoshinator: Yay! And what exactly did Laufey say that you were referring to?

ceres18: No hablo Espanol.

Frostfire613: Emma and Loki are cute. And the Dream World was just something I put in to explain their meetings.

hungergamesawesomeness: I'm glad you're glad.

Disclaimer

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Chapter 15: Home Again

One week after the meeting with Laufey, Thor and Emma used the Tesseract to travel to Earth. Emma had to give Odin her address so that he would know where to send them. Loki made sure to give Emma a goodbye kiss before watching her leave, spending the time between her departure and return worrying endlessly.

The icy-blue light cleared, and Emma recognized the hedge maze in her family's garden. The statues placed in certain corners told her where in the maze she was. Leading Thor, she hurried through the maze, eager to see her family again after a whole year. Exiting the maze, she nearly bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't see. . ." she started to say before a familiar voice cut her off.

"Emma?"

Emma got a good look at the person she almost ran into, and smiled big. It was Walter, the friendly and gentle head-gardener who had taught her everything he knew about plants and gardening. A head full of gray hair, big brown eyes that held much knowledge and wisdom, and only a few inches taller than Emma, he had been 40-something when she last saw him, but it looked like he had aged 15 years.

"Walter! Yes, it's me. I'm back!"

Emma hugged the shocked man, who hugged her back. Thor, who had just come out of the maze, stood off to the side. Emma let go of Walter the same time the door to the house opened. A warm female voice spoke.

"Walter, did you find out what that. . ." She stopped as she saw who was standing in the garden.

Emma turned, and saw her mother for the first time in a year. Her brown hair, a few shades darker than her daughter's, was streaked with gray. Her sky-blue eyes looked as if they had shed too many tears in the past twelve months. Her summer dress hung off her body, evidence of too few meals that were hardly enough. If Walter looked as if he had aged 15 years, Shannon looked as if she had aged 30.

She stood there for a minute, not daring to believe her eyes. So many times she had dreamed of her daughter coming home, and she always woke up. She feared that she would wake up this time, too, and her daughter would be no closer than she was a week ago.

"Mommy!"

Emma cried out and ran to her mother, tears falling from her eyes. Shannon walked down the steps robotically. When Emma reached her, she threw her arms around her mother. Shannon hugged her back, still reluctant to believe that this wasn't just another tortuous dream.

But if this was a dream, why did it feel so real? Dreams sometimes felt real, but this was different from the dream-like real. Her shoulder was wet from Emma's tears. She could hear her sobs, hear her whispering "I've missed you. I thought of you all the time. I'm sorry I left you." That last sentence clicked in her head, and Shannon drew back to look at Emma's face.

"Can it really be you this time?" she dared to hope. "I'm awake? You're not just my imagination?"

"No, Mom," Emma said through her tears. "It's me. I'm real. I've been gone for a year and now I'm back. I've missed you so much. I love you, Mom."

It was real. Shannon could feel that deep in her heart, in her soul. This was her daughter, in the flesh. Shannon gave in to her emotions and hugged her daughter close, her tears falling to join Emma's. Their legs lost their strength, and mother and daughter dropped to the ground. They didn't let go until a few minutes later when heavy footsteps ran through the house and skidded to a stop just outside the door. They looked up, and Emma saw her stepfather.

Cody was similar to her mother as to how much he had changed in a year. His dark hair was highlighted with red and grey streaks. His light brown eyes looked haunted. Physically, he was more fit than Shannon, but that was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s regulations.

Emma didn't have a chance to say anything before Cody flew down the stairs and knelt beside her, hugging her tightly. She hugged him back. After a minute, he let her go.

"Oh, Emma, what happened?" Cody was close to hysterics. "Where have you been? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Cody," Emma tried to reassure him. Key word is "tried:" she knew he wouldn't calm down until he heard the whole story from start to finish.

"But what happened to you?"

"I don't want to repeat the entire story," she told him, "so I'll wait for Jason and Jared."

Not one second after the words left her mouth, the front door opened. Two voices called out "We're back!" simultaneously. Emma, Shannon, and Cody stood up and walked into the house and towards the front. They rounded the corner and saw the twins the same moment the twins saw them.

Jason and Jared had grown in one year. Before, Emma had to look down at them. Now they were at eye level with her. Their hair was the same shade as Shannon's, but you could see streaks of red if you looked hard enough. They had their father's eyes, and muscles like a professional athlete.

"You're back!" they shouted when they saw Emma, dropping their school stuff and running up to her. Emma would have fallen over when they slammed into her if it wasn't for Shannon and Cody. She just laughed and hugged them back. The hug didn't last long before the boys started throwing questions at her.

"What happened?" "Are you alright?" "Where did you go?" "Who took you?" "How did you escape?" "Did you have to fight?"

Emma looked to Cody for help, who put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. Emma and Shannon covered their ears in time while the boys jumped.

"Now, then," he began, "if we can all just calmly go into the living room, we can let Emma tell her story. You can ask your questions later."

"Am I allowed to listen?"

All five turned to see Thor standing nearby. Cody saw Jason and Jared open their mouths.

"Questions later." They closed them. "You may join us. This should be some story."

All six proceeded to the living room. Emma sat on the couch, with Shannon on her right and Cody on her left. Jason and Jared plopped down on the floor in front of them. Thor remained standing.

Emma quickly gave her family the basics. She described her kidnapping, the lab where she had been taken, the lies they were told about why they were there, and the fates of the others. She then told them about her dreams with Loki. After that came the government invasion of the lab, the truth about the horrible experiments, and her escape to Asgard. She ended with Laufey and Odin and the deal they had made.

"When they saw that Loki and I loved each other, they forgave him. He can live anywhere he wants and be with whoever he wishes. He wants to live here, with me. And I want to be with him. I love him with all my heart." She paused and looked at her family, giving them permission to ask their questions. Jason and Jared asked first.

"Does this mean you have superpowers now?" Emma laughed a bit at that.

"No. My body rejected everything the scientists gave me. Apparently, I actually have a very strong immune system. My being sick all the time is the result of my body defending itself against all the toxins that try to get in and weaken me. And since I've always lived in cities, there's a constant amount of toxins because of heavy pollution."

"Does this mean you and Loki will live in the country?" Shannon asked.

"We're considering it. We don't want to go to a place that's in the middle of nowhere, but we want to be somewhere with clean air and lots of open space. Possibly near a forest, where the trees can take in any pollution."

"How will you convince Fury that Loki's changed, especially so soon after he invaded Manhattan with the Chitauri?" Cody asked.

"I was hoping you and Uncle Phil could talk to him."

"My brother-in-law is in no condition to butt heads with Fury right now."

"I'll be the judge of that."

Everyone turned to look at the one who had spoken. Agent Phil Colson leaned against the wall, dressed casually in a t-shirt and sweatpants.

"Phillip," Shannon said in her mother voice, "you shouldn't be moving around. You know what the doctor said. And just how long have you been standing there?"

"Since Emma began telling her story." Now everyone looked at Thor.

"You knew he was there and you didn't say anything?" Emma asked.

"He would reveal himself when he was ready, and I did not want to interrupt you."

"Thanks, Thor." The God of thunder nodded to Phil. "I don't mind trying to match wits with Fury, not since he ruined my cards. But he won't be easy to persuade. And I think that if anyone should try, it should be Emma."

"What?"

"You're the one who's in love with Loki. Not something I entirely approve of. The guy nearly killed me."

"Loki's motives were not to kill you," Thor said, "but to disable you. He missed your vital organs on purpose. You should be thankful he did."

"I'm not gonna be thankful just yet," Phil responded. "Back to what I was saying, Cody and I aren't exactly on friendly terms with Loki. Fury won't believe that you didn't put us up to it. You have to show him what you know and feel. If he doesn't go for it, try to make a deal with him. Make it seem to him like he won."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Emma asked.

"You'll find a way," Shannon said. "But not today. Today is the day we celebrate your safe return."

Emma couldn't object to that. Shannon had the cooks prepare Emma's favorite dinner: lobster ravioli in a creamy crab sauce, garlic bread, garden salad, and red velvet cheesecake for desert. They had to make a lot because Thor joined them. He had to stay on Earth as long as Emma was there, for protection and as her link to Asgard so that she could get back. The rest of the time was spent with everyone swapping stories of what they had done in the past year while Jason and Jared asked Emma to give them more details about her time at the lab. She was exhausted by the time she went to bed.

Her room hadn't been touched in the time she had been gone, except to maybe dust and vacuum. It was a good thing Emma was so tidy otherwise things would have been a complete mess. Emma sank down onto her soft mattress and pulled the comforter up to her chin. She quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Of course, she dreamed about Loki. They hugged and kissed and told each other about their day.

"I kept telling my mother that I was sorry I had left them," Emma said. "She responded by saying that I didn't leave them. Someone took me from them. I still feel like I could have prevented it."

"If you had prevented it," Loki said, "then I never would have met you."

"True."

"And you would have seen what I did in New York, and probably think me a monster just like everyone else at S.H.I.E.L.D."

Emma told him that she was going in the following day to talk to Fury.

"I'm worried that he'll think I've finally lost my mind," Emma confessed. "If he doesn't agree, then you'll have to stay on Asgard. And I can't be apart from you. Just today was torturing enough. Odin's letting me be an exception to the law about no mortals in Asgard, but what about my family? They would want to visit us, but they wouldn't be able to come to Asgard and I would have to go to Earth alone. All this thinking is driving me crazy."

"Then stop thinking," Loki told her. "The more you think about it, the more you will worry. The more you worry, the less courage you will have when you finally confront Fury. Just forget about it. You can worry when you get there. When you do, just say what you know and feel."

Emma would have accused him of just trying to calm her down, but she was still in the Dream World. She could sense that Loki was sincere in what he was saying. She took a deep breath and gathered her emotions, then looked to her love.

"I'll try. No promises, though."

"I know you can do it. You are strong and brave. Do not ever let anyone tell you otherwise. You let me into your heart. That is something that very few will even attempt. And I've let you into my heart." Emma smiled at his words, then an idea suddenly came to her.

"I can sense you plotting."

"I know how to win Fury over, if just talking to him doesn't work. Let's say this is my Plan B."

"Care to share it with me?"

"No. I'll tell you everything tomorrow."

"Can't wait. Seriously, I cannot wait. Hurry and come back as soon as you can."

Emma laughed. They had time for one kiss before the fog rolled in.

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I think this is the longest chapter I have ever written for any fanfic so far.

So what did you think? How was it? What do you think Emma's plan is going to be? Please review. Next up, Fury.


	16. Chapter 16

blondehairedknowitall: Here it is.

Frostfire613: Here's another one.

The Yoshinator: It's not Loki's plan. It's Emma's. Loki just gave her an idea. And yeah, I thought it would be fun to end the chapter with that sentence.

Tiryn: I love adorable. Here's the update you wanted.

ceres18: I didn't think my Loki would be thought as so romantic. I get the message. Keep reading.

hungergamesawesomeness: And here you go. Time to find out. Hope you like it.

Disclaimer

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Chapter 16: Emma's Plan

Emma stood between Cody and Thor as they rode the elevator up to Fury's office. She thought back to her plan and wondered if Phil, Jason, and Jared would have everything set up in time. She wondered if her plan would even work. Cody placed his hand on her shoulder and Emma looked up at him. He smiled, and Emma relaxed. Cody had faith in her. So did the rest of her family, and Loki. He was the reason she was doing this. She had to remember that all this was for him. The doors opened, and she gathered her courage.

Cody led the way to Fury's office. On the way they passed Agent Maria Hill, who handed some papers to Cody before walking away. Cody glanced at them before turning to Emma and nodding. The boys had everything ready. All they needed to do now was wait for Emma's signal. She had to remember to thank Maria later.

Finally, the trio came to a halt outside the door to Fury's office. Cody gave her a smile, and Thor whispered "Good luck." Emma smiled to both of them before opening the door and walking into the room.

Fury was sitting at his desk doing paperwork. Emma couldn't see everything, but she did glimpse the words "Loki," "damages to city," and "death count." _Just great _she thought. _Get him at a time when he's dealing with the results of Loki's actions. _As if this wasn't going to be hard enough already.

Fury looked up and saw her. He eye went wider than anyone had ever seen. He stood up and walked around to the other side of his desk and hugged her. After a moment, he stepped back.

"Emma," he said, "where have you been? I thought you were at that lab. I sent my agents there with instructions to find and rescue you, but you were nowhere to be found."

"It's a long story," she responded, "and it's related to why I'm here."

Fury frowned and crossed his arms. "I don't like the sound of that, but go on. I'm listening."

Emma took a deep breath. This was going to be harder than she thought. _Remember who this is for. Remember who this it for._

"You already know where I was that year I was gone and why, so I'll skip all of that. A few days before you sent your agents, I began to have dreams about someone. A man. He and I got to know each other in these dreams, and then I fell in love with him. I thought he was just my imagination, but he's real."

"How do you know he's real?"

"Because I met him, and not when we were dreaming. That day you sent your agents to get me was the day I met him. I managed to escape through a portal that opened up, and he was on the other side."

"I did get reports of strange energy readings coming from the lab. How did the portal open?"

"Stray energy from the Tesseract coming together and releasing itself. At least, that's how it was explained to me when I asked. While I was there, I learned that he loved me back. We want to be together."

"So why are you coming to me?"

And this was where it would start going South.

"Because the portal took me to Asgard. The man I was dreaming about, the man I love, is Loki."

A familiar throbbing vein appeared on the director's forehead, and his eye started to twitch. Emma could tell he was restraining a lot of anger.

"Loki: the man who brought an alien army to Earth, destroyed much of Manhattan, and killed a lot of people? That Loki?"

"He's changed, Director, and the Allfather himself has forgiven Loki."

"I don't care if the President of the United States forgave him." Fury's voice started to rise in volume. "How could you fall in love with him? And don't think I'm going to believe you when you say he's changed."

"Does it matter how? And he has changed. I can sense his emotions and thoughts when we dream. He feels guilty about what he has done and wants to make things right again."

"I am not letting him come back to the planet he tried to conquer, the very planet I have sworn to protect!"

"He could help protect it. The Chitauri will not give up so easily, and no one knows them like he does. He could be a valuable source of information."

"We have the Avengers to fight against the Chitauri, and don't suggest that Loki join the team. I highly doubt any of them would trust him, anyway. One of them was under his mind control."

"Thor trusts him."

"Thor is his brother. And how do I know he doesn't have you under his control?"

"Have my eyes changed color?"

"Banner was being manipulated by Loki, and his eyes didn't change color. How do I know you're not the same?"

"Because I let him into my heart willingly, and he let me into his."

"I find it hard to believe that Loki even has a heart."

Emma could tell that she would get nowhere with this strategy. She reached back to her braid, the French braid that her mother had skillfully and beautifully done up that morning, and pulled it forward so that it rested over her left shoulder.

Soft music began to play. Fury looked around for a few seconds, then turned back to Emma. She smiled as she prepared herself. Fury sat back as he waited to hear what song she had chosen. Sometimes, during the concerts she would give her family and their friends, she would sing a song relating to something that had happened recently or something that was to come, or even what she herself was feeling.

When the music reached a certain point, she began to sing.

_I love the part in fairytales that's very near the end_

_When all the kingdom cheers for their new queen._

_And all is well and all is good and everyone belongs,_

_And happily they're Ever After-ing._

_But when I enter the Kingdom of Dreams,_

_And face the promise of all I can be,_

_Will they see me as a heroine?_

_Tell me, will they let me in?_

_I love the hour the seasons change, and Winter turns to Spring,_

_And empty branches welcome newborn leaves._

_The Earth makes room for every flow'r that reaches for the sun._

"_We're glad you've come" is whispered on the breeze._

_But when I enter the Spring of my dreams,_

_Just like a wildflow'r that bursts on the scene,_

_Will I find my place with a gentle wind?_

_Tell me, will they let me in?_

_And if a heart's breaking, a part of me's aching_

_To show them how much that I care._

_But if no one lets me or turns and forgets me,_

_Then how, how can I share?_

_There is a part of fairytales that's very near the end:_

_The princess and the prince proclaim their love._

_And hearts are healed and souls are changed, and two blend into one,_

_All orchestrated by the stars above._

_But when I stand at the door of my dreams,_

_And face a lonely heart calling for me,_

_I could fill that emptiness within_

_If that heart would let me in._

_Won't someone let me in?_

Emma stopped singing, the music ceased, and all was silent for a few minutes. Fury looked deep into Emma's eyes, searching for something that he could use, something that would tell him that this was a trap or that year in the lab had made Emma mentally ill. All he found was a young woman in love. He would get nowhere with her. He had to use outside forces.

"Who came here with you?"

"My stepfather and Thor."

"Are they outside?" Emma nodded. "Bring them in here."

Emma opened the door and motioned the two men inside.

"Emma tells me that Odin had forgiven Loki of his crimes," Fury said, aiming the words at Thor.

"He has," Thor confirmed. He went on to explain the deal between Odin and Laufey, Loki's birth father. Fury then turned to Cody.

"You mainly deal with criminal interrogation, with your abilities to tell when a person is lying. Do you believe that Loki should be given a second chance?"

"I would have to meet him to judge him," Cody answered, "and I plan to do that soon. If he's going to be with my stepdaughter, I need to lay down some rules with him." Emma rolled her eyes at that.

"Is there anyone else, not from Asgard or Emma's family, who believes I should let Loki prove that he's changed?" Fury asked, hoping that he could still find a way to win this argument.

At that moment, the doors opened and Agent Hill walked in. The room's four occupants turned to her.

"Hill," Fury began, "now is not the time. Whatever it is, it can wait."

"Loki has changed," Maria said, "and he should be allowed to prove it."

Fury was speechless for a minute. Maria Hill was one of his best agents. She was the one who kept him sane when certain people and/or events would drive him mad. She could figure him out when no one else could. She would take a bullet for him without a second thought, and he would do the same for her. She was not afraid to confront him about anything, which usually happened to be a decision he had made, such as Phil Coulson's cards. He trusted her completely. And now she was telling him that Loki, Earth's Enemy Number One, deserved a second chance.

"What?" was all he could manage when he finally found his voice.

"There's something I've been hiding from you, sir," she said, "and now is as good a time to tell you. I'm a seer."

"You're a what?"

"A seer," Maria explained. "I have visions. My power isn't as strong as most: it doesn't show me much, and it never shows me what I want to see. It does, however, show me what I _need _to see. I was a bit reluctant to believe it at first when I began having visions one week ago, but after continuous visions of the Dream World and Loki's waking behavior, I truly believe that he has changed as Emma has said."

Maria had known what Emma's plans were. She had called her on a secure line when she was discussing them with her family over breakfast. She was just in time, too. Shannon had addressed the problem of a signal that would inform Emma that the boys were ready. That signal was in the papers she had handed Cody earlier.

"What proof can you give me of these visions?" Fury asked.

"The Council bugged your office. They saw everything. I shut it down, but they're still going to call." Maria's communicator buzzed. "And that would be them."

Fury sighed. He did not want to talk to the Council again so soon. He turned to Emma.

"I'll do what I can," he told her, "but it won't be easy."

Emma just smiled at him. Maria led her and the other two men to the lounge while Fury went to go battle it out with the Council.

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Cyber cookies if you can guess the name of the song and what movie it's from.

What do you think about Maria having visions? I know it was a bit out-there, but they needed a signal and I thought it would be cool.

Please read and review. The more reviews I get, the faster you'll get to read about Fury and the Council. I do not like those people, by the way. Does anyone else hate them?


	17. Chapter 17

blondehairedknowitall: Thank you.

The Yoshinator: I agree. And don't worry about it. I didn't think a lot of people would know it.

ceres18: Thank you. Here's more.

LibbyLue24: About the visions, I like surprising my audience. If anyone actually liked the Council, I would quickly check them into a mental hospital.

gracelpv: Basically just look at what I told LibbyLue24.

Cyber cookies for LibbyLue24. The song was Let Me In, from the movie Rigoletto. I was so afraid no one would get that. Thank you, LibbyLue24.

Disclaimer

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Chapter 17: Eye-patch versus Everyone-Hates-Us

Fury stepped into the conference room and the screens lit up, showing the four council members. There was one lone female and three males: American, Arab, and Asian. It was mostly the woman and American councilman who did the speaking. The Arab man would make an occasional comment while the Asian man hardly said a word. **(A/N Did anyone else notice that? Seriously. It's like the other two weren't even there)**

"Director, please tell me you are not considering that Loki be allowed to live on Earth," the councilman said.

Fury knew he had to play his cards very carefully. The Council had the power to override any of his commands, as they had when they sent the missile towards Manhattan.

"Since you seem to have heard Emma's proposal, I'll assume you also heard her reasoning."

"All she said was that Loki had changed, nothing more," the Arab councilman spoke up.

"A leopard does not change its' spots," the American added.

"True," Fury said, "but we're not dealing with a leopard. We're dealing with a man, and men change every day. I've known Emma all her life. She tends to be right about people."

"Young and ignorant children in love tend to make serious mistakes in judgment," said the councilwoman. Fury held back his anger at her reference.

"Emma is not a child. She's an adult. And she certainly isn't ignorant. After all she's been through in her life, she's become cautious about who she allows to get close to her."

"She had been kidnapped and tortured for an entire year," the councilwoman said. "Her walls would have been broken down, allowing anyone in."

"Except she didn't let just anyone in," Fury said. "She let Loki in."

"Why him?"

"She had never met him before," the councilman added. "He was a complete stranger."

"People who have been best friends for years started out as complete strangers," Fury retorted.

"She claims to have met him in her dreams. Our minds can't create faces. Everyone we see in our dreams we have met in real life, even if we only caught a glimpse passing them one day. Emma obviously must have seen him somewhere, and her imagination decided to play with it."

"According to Thor," Fury said, "this is the first time Loki's been to Earth in Emma's lifetime, with the exception of the time the brothers briefly saw each other in New Mexico, and Emma was nowhere near there when that happened. Since she was at the lab, we must assume that they did not cross paths while he was here. And Loki was dreaming about Emma the same time she was dreaming about him."

"Agent Barton gave Loki information on S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives," the councilwoman said. "Emma is connected to two of them. Her face could have come up."

"Agent Barton made a list of all the information he gave Loki," Fury said. "No pictures were used. Everything was recited from memory. Emma never even came up."

"Are you sure you weren't just won over by her sweet smile and touching song?" the councilman asked.

Here's where it would get tricky.

"I wasn't won over by the song," Fury answered, "but by the idea that perhaps Emma can reach Loki, if she hasn't already done so, and change him for the better. Criminals are given second chances all the time. Why should this be any different?"

"Because this is the man who brought an army to Earth and attempted to conquer it," the councilwoman said, "killing many people in the process."

"Hitler attempted the same thing, and he killed millions. The war he caused lasted for years while the war in Manhattan didn't even last a day. What is Loki compared to that?"

"Is Emma even aware of the full extent of what Loki has done?" the councilman asked.

"If she wasn't," Fury answered, "she wouldn't have come to me. And she did mention that Odin has forgiven Loki. She would have asked what he had done that needed forgiveness. She's curious like that. She strives to know all that she can."

"I'd like to know why Odin forgave him," the councilman said, "aside from his deal with Laufey."

"That's something you'll have to ask the Allfather himself."

A familiar icy-blue light filled the room, the source of it behind Fury. He turned around, hand on his gun, as the light faded. There, in all his glory, stood the King of Asgard.

Odin and Fury stared at each other for a few minutes, a silent conversation taking place between them. The council members were silent as well, too shocked by the appearance of this divine being. Without saying a word, Fury nodded at the Allfather and left the room.

He walked towards the lounge, his face completely stoic. When he arrived, he headed straight for a table near the back occupied by the four people he was looking for. They turned to him as he approached. Emma stood up.

"Well?"

Fury responded with a smile.

"I did what I could. I'll let Odin do the rest."

"What about my father?" Thor asked.

Fury gave a brief summary of his conversation with the council, ending with the appearance of Odin. Thor started to laugh.

"I pity the council. My father can be quite scary when he is attempting to persuade someone."

"I'd like to see how that argument would go," Cody said, smiling.

"Odin's shut down the cameras in the conference room," Maria stated. "And the council will try their hardest to forget the experience. They won't succeed, though, because Odin will continue to remind them. Am I right?"

She looked to the door and the others followed her gaze. Odin was standing there.

"They will remember the encounter even without my help. I was quite adamant about our deal."

"Care to tell us what sort of deal?" Fury asked.

"Loki will stay on Asgard for one year," Odin began, "giving your world time to recover somewhat from the Chitauri attack. After that, he may come and go as he pleases. In exchange for his freedom, Loki will assist S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers in any way he can. If he abuses that freedom, then he shall return to Asgard and never again be allowed to leave."

"Sounds good to me," Fury said.

"Really?" Cody asked. "I would have expected you to claim that it wasn't good enough and negotiated further."

"If Odin can get the Council to agree to that deal, I'm not even gonna try. It's a challenge for me just to keep my temper in check when I face those a**holes."

"They were hardly a challenge at all," Odin stated. "Then again, I have centuries more experience than them. Not even Loki, with his silver tongue, can win an argument against me."

"I rest my case." Maria snickered at Fury's words. He glared at her slightly. She ignored him.

"They requested that an agent be assigned to regularly check in with Loki to make sure he is behaving himself," Odin said. "One not related to Emma and not on the Avengers team," he continued when he saw Cody raise his hand and open his mouth. Cody lowered his arm and pouted while Emma giggled.

"Perhaps we should discuss the fine print if Loki's going to live here," Fury said. He and Odin proceeded to his office to sort out the details.

Cody, Thor, and Emma decided that they were done here and returned to the Whites' home while Maria went back to her job.

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How was that? Did I do OK with portraying the Council's characters? What did you think of Odin's surprise appearance? Review and let me know.


	18. Chapter 18

blondehairedknowitall: Go Odin indeed. I think pretty much everyone agrees with Fury on that.

The Yoshinator: Glad you loved it. The Council needs their arses handed to them more often.

ceres18: Glad you liked it. Loki is told the conditions of the deal when Odin returns to Asgard.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Marvel_. Just my plot and OCs.

I have a oneshot out called April Fool's, Fury. You might want to read that one before you read this chapter. Plot spoilers, and you won't understand the hilariousness of it.

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Chapter 18: No Words

Almost one year had passed since Odin had met with the Council.

Emma had stayed on Asgard during that time and grown much stronger than she had ever been. The healers told her that her immune system was still as strong as it had been, but now she wouldn't get so sick whenever she went to the city.

The Tesseract had been used to fix the Bifrost. Thor came and went, mostly assisting S.H.I.E.L.D. as part of the Avengers. He also served as a messenger between Emma and her family. When he wasn't doing either of those jobs, he spent his time with Jane. Funny story: he had wanted to surprise her when he saw her again, so he had dressed in denim jeans and a plaid shirt and left Mjoulnir at Avengers Tower so she wouldn't pick him out in a crowd easily. He had arrived at her house just as she was getting ready to go to the store. She, once again, hit him with her car. Since he wasn't a "mere mortal" as he had been the last two times, her car got a bit damaged. He still was knocked flat on his backside. Loki could not stop laughing when Thor came back with that story.

Loki was on his best behavior, even for him. He wasn't doing much illusion magic anymore. Instead, he had switched his focus to healing magic. Emma warned him that her brothers would not leave him alone, since they both wanted to be doctors. Loki responded by saying that if he could survive Thor for a few hundred years, Jason and Jared would be a piece of cake. Emma had laughed at that; not because it was funny, but because she knew that he would be eating his words after a while. She actually had a bet going with Shannon and Cody on how long it would be before Loki lost his mind.

Speaking of Cody, he finally got to have that talk with Loki. They communicated through mirrors. Loki had enchanted one of his so that he could see and hear what was happening through one in the Whites' house. Once Cody had made sure that Loki would treat his little girl right, he agreed to help Loki with a secret project. But it wouldn't remain a secret much longer.

It was late afternoon, a beautiful day in Asgard. According to the Midgard calendar, it would be the beginning of April. Emma wasn't sure of the specific day. She and Loki were looking at homes in the country, choosing from brochures that Thor had brought back. The couple had discussed what they wanted their house to be like and sent a list to Shannon and Cody, who went out and picked the ones that best matched.

"This one is the size we want," Emma said, comparing the two properties they had singled out, "but it's in the middle of a town. The backyard isn't very big, and about half of it is taken up by the pool. This one is smaller, but it's right next to a forest. It's got a good-sized garden and even a stable for horses, with fenced-in pastures and riding rings."

"There is plenty of space around the house for attachments," Loki pointed out, "and the size of a house does not make up for lack of any outdoor property. We don't really need a big house, just enough room for a small family and a guest room for your parents. You've said that Jason and Jared will most likely camp out in a tent."

"And if they get tired of that," Emma said with a laugh, "we can always put them on the couch. So we're going with the forest and stables?" Loki nodded. "Alright." She sighed. "I wish we had decided this before Thor left this morning. We could have sent a message to my parents so they could finalize everything."

"The year is almost over," Loki said. "Soon we will be down on Earth and will not have to worry about messages and decision timing. We also would have a chance to see the property for ourselves before we actually purchase it."

"My parents are the ones actually paying for it," Emma reminded him. "They're just putting it in our names."

"On the condition that we must eventually pay them back," Loki sighed, "and they are free to come over at any time."

"That doesn't mean that they'll come and never leave," Emma told him with a smile. "Mostly they'll come for holidays and birthdays. It's not like they're going to show up on random days without warning, not constantly at least. Just once in a while."

Emma put the brochures back in the folder they had come in and walked over to place it on her desk. She had been given her own set of chambers in the palace, not too different from her bedroom at her parents' house. She and Loki had been sitting on the edge of her bed while making their decision.

Loki watched her, and fingered a small box in his pocket. Only Cody knew about that little box, but everyone would know about it soon.

Loki stood up and walked towards Emma. She turned around at his approach, and he placed a kiss on her lips. She kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

"I need to do this now," Loki said, "before I lose my courage."

"Do what?" Emma asked with a curious and questioning look on her face.

"I love you with all my heart," Loki began. "I've never felt this way about anyone in my entire life. I would go on, but I do not think I could find the right words, even with my silver tongue." He knelt down on one knee and pulled the box out of his pocket, holding it out for her to see. "Emma Grace," He opened the box. "Will you marry me?"

Inside the box was a ring. The diamond in the center was shaped like a heart. On either side of it were emeralds, also in the shape of a heart, that grew smaller the further they were from the diamond. Inside the band, directly across from the diamond, were inscribed the words "My Healer." It was the most beautiful ring Emma had ever seen, and she could not hold back the tears that fell from her eyes.

"I wish I could come up with something clever and moving," she said, "like the women do in romance movies. But there is only one word I can think of, and it says everything that I cannot. Yes."

Loki smiled and stood up, taking the ring out of the box and putting the box back in his pocket. He took Emma's left hand, and slipped the ring onto the correct finger. He didn't notice the tears that fell from his eyes. Loki and Emma wrapped their arms around each other and shared a long, passionate kiss.

They came up for air after a minute and looked into each other's eyes.

"I would've thought it'd be obvious that I would marry you," Emma said.

"I know," Loki responded, "but I wanted to propose to you properly."

The two lovers shared another kiss. They had barely separated when a certain someone burst through the door.

"Brother, you must see th. . ."

"Thor, can't you ever knock, you great idiot?!"

Thor, seeing the look on Loki's face, quickly backed out of the room and closed the door. A knock, which sounded more like drums, was heard a second later. Thor then opened the door and entered again.

"Brother, you must see this." He held what appeared to be a photograph in his hand.

"What is it?" Loki asked, still extremely annoyed.

"Today is the Fools of April day on Midgard," Thor explained. Emma giggled a bit at Thor's vocabulary. "The mortals celebrate by playing tricks on one another."

"I know what April Fool's Day is," Loki said, rolling his eyes. "I would watch the humans as they played their pranks. While some are extremely dull and repetitious, others are very inventive. What I do not know is why you are telling me this."

Thor said nothing, but merely held out the photo. Loki took it and looked at it with a bored expression. When he saw what it was, he burst out laughing.

"What?" Emma was curious as to what exactly was on that photo. Loki showed it to her.

Natasha Romanoff, Maria Hill, Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, and Pepper Potts were standing with their arms around each other, facing the camera with huge smiles on their faces. While Emma would have thought that this was a perfectly ordinary picture, it was their shirts that made the photo special and caught Emma's attention.

Natasha's shirt with white, with fake blood splatters, and the words "Don't mess with me. I'm in Loki's army." Maria's shirt was light blue, with a snake to the left of the words "Loki made me do it." Jane's shirt was black with bold green words that said "Free hugs for Loki." Darcy's shirt was teal-blue, and said "Team Loki" in big letters. And finally, Pepper's shirt was black and stated "I 'heart' Loki" in white letters and a red heart.

Emma grinned.

"Where can I get one of those shirts?"

Loki doubled over with laughter. It was a few minutes before he composed himself, but his smile didn't go away.

"I'm assuming this is part of a prank they played?" Loki directed the question at Thor.

"They walked into Nick Fury's office wearing those shirts," Thor said.

Loki burst out laughing again. While Fury had agreed to allow Loki to live on Earth, he was in no way fond of the God of mischief.

"And how did he react?" Loki asked through his giggles.

"I will show you the video when you are allowed on Earth."

Loki smiled in anticipation.

"Until then," Emma said, getting their attention, "we shall have this photo framed and hang it on the wall when we get our house."

"It shall have a place of honor," Loki followed up, "where Fury will be able to see it when he visits, so that I may remind him that he can never defeat me."

Thor and Emma laughed with him. Then all three went to join Odin and Frigga for dinner, after which Loki made the announcement. Odin and Thor congratulated the couple while Frigga hugged them both and reminded them to send her an invitation to the wedding.

* * *

When Loki saw the video, he laughed so hard he cried.

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So how was that? Was it alright? The proposal wasn't too cheesy, was it?

How did you like Loki's reaction to the photo? A lot of my reviewers for that story asked for it.

They're engaged! Now to plan the wedding.

Read and review.


	19. Chapter 19

blondehairedknowitall: I'm glad you think that. I was worried people would think the proposal wasn't as sweet as it seemed to me. I was hoping people would laugh at the picture.

The Yoshinator: The shirt prank thing was one of my more brilliant ideas. And they're not married yet. Loki just proposed. Glad you liked how he did it.

Whitelion69: Thank you. Of course Emma was going to say yes. It would be quite awkward if she had said no. Poor Loki. I do not like to torture my characters like that.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than my plot and OCs.

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Chapter 19: Wedding Bells

The year had passed. Loki was now free to live on Earth.

He finally met Emma's family. Shannon was already treating him like her own son, so he got along with her well. Jason and Jared were a completely different story. Emma had bet ten minutes, Shannon bet five, and Cody had gone with one minute and seven seconds. They all lost. Loki lasted half a minute before mouthing the words "Get me out of here!" to Emma. She laughed and sent him a look that said "You're on your own." Loki had to endure another half hour before Emma finally rescued him.

"How did you ever survive with those. . . those monsters?" Loki had asked Emma when they were alone.

"I didn't," she had answered. "You're engaged to a ghost."

The story had been all over S.H.I.E.L.D. within hours, and Loki became the butt of many jokes. Everyone knew how the "twinsters," as they were called, were like.

Loki and Emma had visited the property they wanted. They weren't even there for five minutes before Cody signed the papers and handed the real estate agent the cash, getting a key in return and immediately handing it to Emma. The couple spent the next few months searching for furniture and planning paint jobs, while taking care of wedding preparations at the same time.

The date came all too soon. The first weekend in August. The ceremony and reception would be held at their new property. Chairs were set up outside before a white arch, decorated with flowers. Musicians were hired, including the cellist that Phil was dating. She was actually the one who had suggested the others. The musicians were set up on either side of the arch. There was a tent set up only a few yards away for the reception, with tables and chairs and a dance floor.

The ceremony would be held just after noon, with the reception about half an hour after it ended. Guests began to arrive as the wedding party was taking care of last minute details. When everything was ready, everyone sat down and began to talk in excited voices. There were family, friends, and work buddies. The priest was actually from Asgard but had a marriage license on Earth as well, so it would be official in both worlds.

Loki and Thor, who stood next to his brother as his best man, were both dressed in their traditional Asgardian outfits, minus the helmets. Black suits and ties were not proper wedding attire where they came from. No one wanted to argue with them, so they just let the matter go. Next to Thor stood Phil, Jason, and Jared as the groomsmen. They were dressed in tuxedos, not wanting to deal with fittings for Asgardian clothes that they would wear for five minutes before wanting to tear off, never mind an entire wedding ceremony.

The music began to play, and everyone looked to the start of the flower-strewn aisle. First came the bridesmaids: Darcy, Jane, Natasha, and Pepper. Maria came after them, as she was the maid of honor. Emma had chosen her because Maria was closest to her. All the girls wore emerald green, knee-length dresses, with turquoise sashes, shoes, and jewelry. Their bouquets were simply white roses.

And then came the bride.

Emma's dress was styled after the Renaissance, with a poufy skirt, long sleeves, and embroidery that was also emerald and turquoise. Her floor-length veil was held in place on her head by a simple tiara. Her bouquet was white and blue roses with a bit of baby's breath. Her hair was curled and flowed freely down her back under her veil. Her eyes were bright and happy, with no evidence of the scared little girl she was when Loki first saw her.

Loki's breath stopped when he saw Emma. She smiled at him as Cody led her down the aisle. When they stopped in front of him, and he took Emma's hand in his own, Loki finally allowed himself to breathe. He didn't pay much attention to the priest. Neither did Emma. They were too focused on each other. All too soon, they had said their vows, exchanged rings, and heard the priest say "You may now kiss the bride."

Loki lifted Emma's veil, then took her in his arms and kissed her sweetly. They drowned out everything else, not hearing the crowd applaud and cheer. They didn't care. They were now husband and wife.

The reception went off without any hiccups. There were quite a few highlights. One was Emma's and Loki's first dance, for which they had chosen the song I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden. Then there was the daddy-daughter dance between Emma and Cody to the song Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle. Those were some of the moments that brought tears to everyone's eyes.

There were others that were more entertaining. Emma and Loki both got a bit of frosting on their noses when they cut the cake. Thor tried to dance with Jane without stepping on her feet, and he failed miserably. Lucky for her she's got strong toes. Maria actually danced with Fury, who glared at those who decided to videotape it. This was so going in the S.H.I.E.L.D. chatrooms that everyone used when they were on duty and bored. Natasha and Clint did some pretty cool swing dancing.

The reception lasted well after the sun went down. The time eventually came for the new couple to leave. Emma and Loki climbed into the beautiful horse-drawn carriage that Cody had hired. It was styled after Cinderella's pumpkin carriage and was drawn by four pure white horses. Everyone waved goodbye as the couple set off for their honeymoon: a four-week European tour, going through France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.

As soon as the carriage was out of sight, guests began to leave and the volunteers for clean-up duty stayed behind and started to get to work. Quite a few people went to their cars for their jackets, as it got colder than it usually was at this time. Only Odin saw Laufey hiding in the forest, watching his son and daughter-in-law with a sad smile on his face. He caught Odin's eye, nodded, and turned and left.

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So what did you think? Did I describe the wedding okay? What did you think of Laufey's appearance there at the end?

I was going to use the song my parents danced to, but it was pretty old. And I think I Knew I Loved You is better for Emma's and Loki's situation. Butterfly Kisses was my older sister's daddy-daughter dance song when she was married.

Please review or else I will worry endlessly on whether or not you liked it.


	20. Chapter 20

blondehairedknowitall: I'm glad you thought so. I was aiming for cute and romantic.

The Yoshinator: Thanks. And Laufey was hiding because he didn't want anyone, especially Loki, to know he was there.

Whitelion69: I'm glad you liked it.

Britt: Glad you loved it, and I never thought of Laufey being there as bittersweet while I was writing. Nice thought.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Marvel._

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Epilogue

Months had passed since Emma's and Loki's wedding. It was now early springtime. The new couple had returned from their honeymoon and quickly settled into their new lives. While Loki started working at S.H.I.E.L.D, as Odin and the Council had agreed, Emma spent her days at home. Most of her time was spent doing housework and, when the weather was good, straightening up the backyard, which was very big. She also loved to cook and read books about natural, herbal remedies. Phil had once playfully accused her of living up to the stay-at-home housewife stereotype. Her reaction: she tasered him and watched Super Nanny while he drooled into the carpet.

Today, on a bright, clear afternoon, Emma was on her knees in the garden, watering her recently planted fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and pulling weeds. She heard thunder, and looked over to see Loki's stallion, Garwin, and her mare, Gracie, running next to each other in one of the riding rings. Garwin had been brought to Earth from Asgard just after the couple had moved into their house, and Gracie was a gift to Emma from the Allfather. Emma loved riding, and did so every chance she got. She hadn't ridden much before, but she was a fast learner and was getting quite good at it. She almost felt as if she was ready to try bareback. Garwin and Gracie had instantly taken a liking to each other. A foal was actually expected in nine to ten months.

Emma finished up with the weeding and moved on to pruning the trees. She wanted to get it done before they actually started showing blossoms. She had just finished when a sleek black car drove up. Emma brushed off some of the dirt on her clothes as Loki got out. He shut the door, locked the car, and started walking towards the house. Loki entered the house through the front door while Emma entered through the back.

Loki took off his black coat and scarf while Emma took off her shoes and gardening gloves at the back door. They walked into the living room at the same time and Emma ran up to Loki. They threw their arms around each other and kissed. This was how they always greeted each other when Loki came home from working with S.H.I.E.L.D.

They both changed into clean, comfortable clothes, then went into the kitchen to start dinner. They talked about what they had done that day, what their plans were for tomorrow, what the Avengers were up to. Loki snuck glances at Emma, who didn't seem to be her usual self. He waited until they were getting ready for bed before he spoke.

"Is something wrong?"

Emma, who had been brushing her hair at the time, paused and looked over at him. He could tell just by her eyes that she knew exactly what he meant.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" she asked innocently.

"I know you, Emma," he responded. "Something's different about you. And you weren't your usual self this afternoon. What is it?"

Emma set her brush down and walked over to him. She took his hands in hers and looked into his eyes.

"I know you would prefer if I came right out with it and didn't stall, so I won't." She paused for a few seconds. "I'm pregnant."

Loki swore his heart stopped. He kept looking at Emma for a minute, then placed a hand on her stomach. He searched with his magic, and found a tiny life growing inside his wife. He smiled at her.

"I know we wanted to wait a couple of years," Emma said, "but it seems as if Fate had a different plan."

"It doesn't matter," Loki told her. "The child's here, whether we like it or not. And you will be a great mother."

"And you're going to be a wonderful father."

"Hopefully a better father than Odin ever was."

Emma gave her husband a look, then laughed a bit. Loki laughed with her, then picked her up and swung her around, kissing her sweetly. The universe belonged to them in that moment of happiness. Nothing could take that away.

They went to bed that night, thinking of possible names and how they were going to announce the news to their families.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep in space, a figure watched the couple. He had his own plans for them, and especially for the child Emma carried. He smiled to himself as he thought of ways to use that little child to make the Asgardian pay for failing him.

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There was a quote in there from another Marvel movie. Cyber cookies if you can guess what movie and which character said it. It also helps you understand the joke a little more.

That's the end of that story. Hope you liked it. Leave me a review.

No Marvel story is complete without that scene at the end. Yes, there will be a sequel. Keep watching for it.

-Amalthea-Shine


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